Souls of Dragons
by DrabbitDragonLord
Summary: "They weren't supposed to meet like this; Hiccup was sure of it. He was Dragon Master. She was Valkyrie Among Dragons. Their paths should not have crossed. Yet, fate has a way of bringing the most unlikely souls together. Especially two souls of dragons." AU, where Astrid was the one taken from Berk, and not Valka. *ON HIATUS
1. An Unwelcoming Meeting

_I have decided to present a short story which I had a while ago but never went along with finishing it. This piece of work is quite short (five chapters the most), but it gives a little insight on a possible Feral!Astrid AU. And I have to say... I quite enjoy writing this._

 _Leave a review of what you think :)_

 _Also, should I continue?  
_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 1: An Unwelcoming Meeting_

This was a strange land for him.

Filled with the vast space of flight for any dragon. Beautiful plants that grew around, it was almost like paradise. _Definitely not like Berk,_ he thought. But it was a nice sight apart from civilization; he could tell that there were no humans here. Only dragons occupied this secluded place.

Hiccup was Dragon Master, after all, as many nations had called him, so he knew how dragons worked. He was the protector of Berk, and the son of Stoick the Vast. He represented the future of Berk. He was meant to be a peace keeper, and succeed his father as the Chief of Berk, once he was old enough.

He was not supposed to be in some dragon sanctuary.

He did not belong to such a place.

Hiccup sighed, as he took in the sight around him. Yea, it was quite beautiful here. He loved the sight of the space, where a rather large dragon of sorts had created a protective haven for all dragons. It contained all types of dragons, and was beautiful.

The young man recognized the standard dragons. Well, standard for him; from Monstrous Nightmares to Gronkles. He noticed there were a few Terrible Terrors and Zipplebacks. And yet, he did not most of the dragons that had started to walk over and sniff him with curiosity. Some had large back legs with gimpy forelegs, while others were thick and sprouted six legs.

Toothless seemed to love the sight of the place. He already made himself known and sniffed the dragons with curiosity. Sure, Toothless started to hiss at the dragons that would get too close to Hiccup, but that was normal. And Toothless found himself three baby Deadly Naddars to pay attention to.

But Hiccup could not stay here.

He had merely flown with Toothless to escape his home. He wanted to be away from Berk, and from his father's decision to make an arranged marriage. Luckily, his mother was against the idea (at least someone was on his side). She voiced her opinion quite loudly that Hiccup's friend Camicazi could hear from the other side of the Archipelago (and yes, Camicazi sent him a Terror letter to confirm Mrs. Haddock's range of vocal anger).

When his parents sat and argued their son's future, Hiccup had darted passed Finna's questions and hopped on Toothless and flew away. He didn't want to talk with anyone except for Toothless. At least he could count on the dragon to not bring up anything that related to the words wife and marriage.

* * *

 _"AHHHHHHHHH!"_

 _Toothless glanced up at the twenty year old rider on his back. He growled softly as the young adult fully relaxed and leaned against the Night Fury's back._

 _The sun was starting to set and the clouds in the sky were marking the final colors of day with dark oranges and disappearing blue. The wind was blowing against the two friends but it did not bother them. It was refreshing to see the beautiful colours around them in the clouds, far away from their island home._

 _"Sorry, bud. Just angry, I guess," the boy muttered._

 _The Night Fury grumbled, so Hiccup continued: "Maybe Mom'll talk some sense into him. It wouldn't be the first time."_

* * *

As for the dragon sanctuary... _That_ was the tricky part.

He had minded his own business. He didn't ask to anger a mysterious Vigilante dragon-man. Especially one that could easily beat him up and wrap his spleen around his neck. At least, that was what Hiccup figured.

Toothless was the one flying, after all. Hiccup had stared at the forming stars above him and asked Toothless if it was a good idea to leave Berk and not go through the marriage.

* * *

 _"But I don't understand why Dad wants this stupid arrangement. It's not like I want to get married. And chances are she'll be five years younger than me." Hiccup sighed as he stroked his friend's scales. "I'm just lucky Mom's taking my side in all this."_

 _Toothless nodded, and cooed in response._

* * *

But it wasn't like he hated the girl he was betrothed to; in fact... Heather _was_ quite nice. The last time Hiccup met her, that is. And that was… last year, during Snoggletog, maybe? It was just that she was the daughter of a neighboring chief and Dad thought it would help her island with protection, while Berk received supplies.

It was the perfect plan. Except Hiccup hated it.

Hiccup never saw himself as the married type, or a married man to be exact. He was too busy flying, making things, drawing things, finding dragons, and the usual stuff for a twenty year old to do. Plus he helped his mother around the house and worked with Gobber at the forgery, and not to mention that Finna spent most of her time trying to train Hiccup in swordsmanship. Oh, and there was the freaking Dragon Academy he and Fishlegs were working together on.

And Dad thought he needed a _wife_?

Hiccup chuckled, as he watched Toothless played with baby Deadly Naddars. Wives always lead to... other things. Leaving home. Not able to leave the house as much. _And…._ he shuttered slightly _. Kids_.

The young heir was not used to being around little kids. Growing up as the town's runt (or, ironically, hiccup), he did not spend much time with or around kids. Well, besides his younger sister Finna, who was born an average daughter of a chief; And it didn't help that she was favored of Stoick, as she could easily swing an axe and pick up on killing dragons growing up. Yea, Hiccup loved his sister, but she was the perfect Viking. He did not fit in with her.

He did not fit with anyone.

So why a wife, let alone a baby would, want him as a supportive father and husband? It did not make sense to him. Which was why he decided that he was not ready to start a family.

And the reason why he left with Toothless.

But that stupid reptile had to ruin it. While Hiccup was contemplating on whether he should go back and tell his father that he was declining the marriage, Toothless had picked up the scent of a human.

* * *

 _Toothless growled protectively._

 _Hiccup looked down. "What's the matter, bud?"_

 _Out of the clouds sprouted a Deadly Naddar. It stared to encircle the Night Fury, causing the wind to push the clouds and create a smoke effect._

 _Hiccup grabbed on the rails of his saddle protectively. There was something odd about this dragon. A small figure in amour stood on his back. It was a human. Riding a dragon. And it was a Deadly Naddar; not many Hooligans chose them simply because they were harder to train._

 _Yet. There it was: a Deadly Naddar with a rider._

 _Hiccup had tried to calm his friend, while the Naddar encircled them. The rider on its back stared at him with empty eyes, and a mask to hide the face. Coated in furs and armour right to the hands. If Hiccup did not look closer, he would have mistaken the rider for… well, not a human._

 _Hiccup tried to pull his dragon away. He suddenly caught the instincts of the dragon and pulled on Toothless' harness. "We need to leave, bud. We need to go now."_

 _But the Night Fury was in a trance. The beast would not listen to his rider, despite the protests._

 _The chief's son had no option. He darted passed the mysterious person under the clouds and hoped that the rider would not follow._

 _Well, Hiccup was proven wrong: spike-like darts quickly passed through the clouds and swung passed them. Hiccup pulled Toothless left and right to avoid the darts, but each second brought at least three more his way._

 _Hiccup looked back, making sure that the rider and Deadly Naddar were not still following them. "What is up with this guy?" he asked Toothless._

 _The Night Fury did not respond._

 _As he thought he was alone, and finally free of those darts, Toothless followed the many dragons that appeared. They varied from much larger to much smaller than Toothless, but Hiccup could not recognize most of the species. Many were foreign to him._

 _They squawked at the presence of the human and tried to knock him off Toothless. But Hiccup put up a fight; he drew out Inferno as he rode on Toothless. Midair, the dragons were in awe of the fire and allowed both friends to follow them._

* * *

That was where Hiccup found the sanctuary.

However, he still could not find the rider, which terrified him.

He shuttered. He was not sure _where_ the rider was, and that scared him more than the conflict. Could the rider follow him here in this... sanctuary for dragons? A part of Hiccup wanted to believe that this rider would not. But he could not be sure; the rider seemed hostile when Hiccup and Toothless entered this… region. _Perhaps he lives here,_ Hiccup thought.

Sadly, he didn't get a better look at the rider either.

From what Hiccup remembered, there had not been any Viking settlements this far from Berk. Hiccup would have known; he spent the past five years integrating dragon riding and training to all parts of the Barbaric Archipelago. And this place, especially, did not come up on either his maps or stories from talking with the neighboring tribes.

The rider would not be happy if he found Hiccup and Toothless in the dragon sanctuary. If the rider attacked them simply because the two friends had flown near this region-

"Bud, we can't stay here," Hiccup decided.

Toothless rolled his eyes, as he licked the baby Naddar's head. " _These pups are too cute. They want me to play with them._ " As to prove his point, he rubbed his head against all three of the Nadders' heads. The hatchlings seemed to love that, as they kissed their new friend's head with little licks.

 _Nice help_ , Hiccup thought to himself. "I hope the rider finds you, you know that? I hope he-" He paused. "I hope he makes you a little _slave_. He'll make you work and find all the fish and hunt for him." Hiccup laughed. "And he won't rub your belly when you get a bellyache."

" _Keep dreaming, Hiccup,"_ Toothless snorted.

Hiccup rolled his eyes this time, as he walked over to the Naddars. Each baby dragon sprouted their own colours of scales. One was a light magenta, while the other two were lime green and baby blue. As most Deadly Naddars, their dart-like spikes on their tails were yellow. _And they can pack quite a punch when they're older_ , Hiccup thought to himself.

"You guys _are_ pretty cute," the twenty-year old admitted, as the lime green Naddar brushed its head gently under his hand. Hiccup liked the feel of hatchlings; their scales were softer than adult scales.

Toothless probably was moaning in jealousy behind him, but Hiccup paid no attention to it. He was too mesmerized with the little Deadly Naddar, who had now decided that he should be covered in little dragon kisses as well.

"C-come on now, you guys!" Hiccup protested, but it was foolhardy; his giggles were dominant. "Yes! Yes, you're _very_ adorable!"

A growl came from Toothless this time.

Hiccup looked back at his friend and noticed the changed look in the Night Fury. From his eyes, which were now little slants, he was glaring at Hiccup and his claws and teeth were retracted.

He looked _deadly_.

"Are you really _that_ jealous, bud?" Hiccup taunted, as he stood up. The dragon sneered, but he was looking passed Hiccup.

Suddenly, the Deadly Naddar came from the sky. With a loud shriek, it swung its tail and hundreds of spikes darted in his direction.

The man, on instinct drew out his sword, but not before Toothless sprung in the air and attacked the Deadly Naddar. Both dragons were clawing and hissing at each other, with the Night Fury threatening to bite the blue dragon, as they both fell on the ground. The Naddar tried to counter with its spiked-tail, but Toothless prevented the use of its tail by sitting on it.

Hiccup immediately stiffened in position. He had noticed that the rider was not with the Deadly Naddar, or anywhere near them in his peripheral vision. _Where are you, Rider?_ Hiccup thought, raising up Inferno in defense.

Then he felt like he was being watched.

He looked up and saw the rider falling down. Hiccup raised Inferno and blocked the first attack from the rider. The rider's mask was still present on him, and he let out a holler as he struck again with his axe. Hiccup anticipated on the attack and blocked it again, but he could not hold on the pressure the rider's attack, his weight on Hiccup.

"You should _not_ be here."

Hiccup's eyes widened. Something about the voice was not only surprising as to what the rider was, but something from his past. Yet… he could not exactly recall.

With some strength, he pushed the rider off him with a swift kick of his left leg and held Inferno out. The rider stepped back and held his axe out as well.

There were many thoughts passing through his head, and he could not make sense of what to ask. The one question he could speak of was: "Wait, you are a _girl_?"

Out of all the possible responses, he did not anticipate the woman to punch his face.

"Gods!" Hiccup shouted in pain. "Look, I didn't mean to intrude!" he insisted, as he rubbed his face. Man, did that woman throw a good punch or _what_. _She's better than Camicazi and Finna._

Jeeze, he never thought he would ever think of _that_.

Once again, he found the woman's hands touching him. This time, her hand was firmly grasped around his rather exposed neck. Hiccup immediately regretted not making a protective layer of leather there.

"Give me _one_ reason why I should not kill you," she demanded, with poison in her breath.

 _Besides the fact that you'll kill me before I can talk…_ He pointed to Toothless, who was still fighting with the Deadly Naddar. Or he thought the dragon was. He could not tell, since he could not concentrate on the spinning of the world. "I... have a…. _dragon_ , too."

The rider hesitated. If Hiccup could see her face, or her eyes better, he might have thought she was studying his face. Not that he didn't mind. But this girl tried to kill him twice: a minute ago and right now.

"A _slave_?" With a huff, she dropped Hiccup to the ground. "You mean to tell me you have _enslaved_ this poor creature?"

Hiccup rubbed his throat. Man, _that_ was going to leave a mark _. Or a bruise_. He shuttered. _Mom's going to kill me._

The young man snorted. "I have no idea how you fathomed that from " _I have a dragon_ "." With some strength, he stood up and watched the rider take her mask off.

It was kind of strange for Hiccup. He was never really attracted to girls growing up. Simply because he only played with Finna. And that was when she wasn't with Stoick. Oh, and being around his mother. But he was her son, and all sons thought their mothers were the most beautiful women on Midgard until they had their own wives.

Hiccup found himself looking at the woman. Not staring, but… observing. Her hair, pulled in a sloppy side braid, was a golden blonde. And not the dirty blonde that Ruffnut had, or the curliness that Finna supported. Actually, the blonde hair wasn't even that thick. It was surprisingly straight. And it was... cute? Yea... it was cute that it was messy and pulled back.

And her eyes… he did not think he ever saw a more deep shade of blue eyes from anyone. Again, not that he ever looked at anyone's eyes. But her eyes… were so blue. They were like… sapphires. Sparkling in the sun. And they showed such determination and pride. _Did someone once say that the eyes are the windows of a person's soul?_

Hiccup shook his head in confusion. Was he fanaticising this rider?

 _Who almost killed me twice?_

The woman shrugged, her axe still in hand. "Having a dragon and enslaving a dragon is the same to me," she said, nonchalantly. "I see no difference."

"I promise you, I am not his master," Hiccup explained. "He is my best friend."

The rider looked back at him with anger in her eyes. "Best _friend_?" she hissed. "How can this dragon be your best friend, when you force him to take you where you demand him?"

There was a spark of tenacity in Hiccup that he usually felt when he tried to persuade Vikings the loyalty in dragons. "Are you even listening to me? I don't _force_ him to do anything." He hoped his voice was firm enough to spread the message.

When she did not reply, Hiccup rolled his eyes and rubbed his sore neck. "Look, forgive me for barking, but _you're_ the one who strangled me, after punching me in the face." He stood up and walked closer to her. "I _have_ the right to be pissed off."

Once again, she did not reply. Her gaze was on Toothless, who was now lying beside the Deadly Naddar. It went from his neck all the way to his tail, and her face froze with no emotion. It was deadlier than the way she spoke to him. _And the choking._

"What is _this_?" she demanded.

Sighing, he walked over and patted Toothless' head. With the dragon's silent approval, Hiccup bent down to the tail and presented it to her, demonstrating the flaps and folding on his tailfin.

"I use this to fly him."

She looked back at Hiccup with suspicion. A look that Hiccup was worried with how her actions would answer. "How was he hurt?"

"I-uh, I found him like that in the woods," Hiccup said.

Which was not a total lie; he _technically_ found Toothless in the woods. Like that. _After_ he had shot him down with a large slingshot. But he wasn't going to tell a psychopathic vigilante dragon girl the specific details. He could feel his throat stiffen at the muscle memory of being choked.

She walked closer to him and stared at him.

He gulped in confusion. The way she stared at him… it was feral-like. As though she had never seen a human so close up before. Her eyes were everywhere on him. His nose; his hair; his eyes; his mouth. And the small scar on his chin.

She raised her hand.

Hiccup's hands went for the Inferno's hilt.

Her hand was gently reaching for his face. Well, his chin to be exact. Hiccup didn't know what to do; his only reflex was for him to lean his head away. Was she trying to choke him again? If she was, he was sure his sword was charged with enough Monstrous Nightmare saliva to ignite once again.

 _What the hell is she doing?_ But he could his face beginning to blush with anticipation.

"Are… you okay?" he asked, quietly. As though it would disturb her.

 _Too late._

The girl's face stiffened again, like when she was looking at Toothless' fin. The change was so stunned, Hiccup was not able to ignite Inferno with its fire. The woman's reflexes were much faster than his own. She immediately stood back up. Her hands drew back her axe, and she pointed it to Hiccup's face.

"You should not be here."

Hiccup gulped. He did not have to think twice about her orders. With a quick step, he steadied himself up and patted Toothless' back. The Night Fury immediately got up while Hiccup hopped on the saddle.

He didn't even look back when Toothless roared and exited the dragon sanctuary. Or when they quickly flew back to Berk with the sun beginning to set on them. He didn't even hesitate to tell Toothless to fly fast.

Hiccup only hoped that the woman did not follow him back home. It would have been a terrible situation to explain to Stoick the Vast and to the rest of the island. If the vigilante, dragon woman was hostile with him for "enslaving" Toothless, then she would not be happy to see Berk with Vikings on the backs of dragons. Who knows what kind of terror would be spread across Berk.

 _Let's just hope that doesn't happen_ , Hiccup thought.

There was one thing that the vigilante had said, that Hiccup agreed. Something, despite the fact that he did not want to be on Berk while Stoick planned his future, which really struck with him. He ignored the fact that he loved the seclusion of the sanctuary and the many dragons. There was one crucial fact that the vigilante pointed out:

He should not be there.

And he didn't want to stay, either.


	2. Two of A Kind

_You guys are so awesome! Four reviews, three faves and eight follows? Holy crap, guys!  
_

 _Okay, you are going to hate me for this, but as you can see, I changed the title. Yes, but I feel this title is more suited for this story. (Meaning that I will be continuing with this story :D)  
_

 _Leave a review and tell me what you think :) And I don't own HTTYD.  
_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 2: Two of A Kind  
_

It was too quiet for his taste.

He had his days where all he would want to do was fly. Across the Archipelago for days, if he had to. For weeks. He could have freedom from any responsibilities. From anything that caused him trouble, since he was mostly in trouble when he was trying to help out. And when he thought he was a dragon killer. Yea. That did not work out so well.

It seemed like only yesterday he was willing to leave all of Berk behind. So he did not have to be in an arranged marriage. Or marry to a much younger maiden or something. Yea, where he and his best friend could be alone, free, and never have to worry about the lives of the Hooligans ever again.

But that changed with the Valkyrie-like Vigilante.

He chuckled. Yea… not the most _creative_ name. But it suited her. She _was_ crazy. Considering not only did she try to kill him – _twice,_ let's not forget – she also was staring at him. Like, _really_ weirdly. Like she knew him from somewhere. Which was strange: he never recalled ever knowing a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

At least, a girl who looked like the Vigilante.

 _Did I know her?_ He wondered.

He tried to recall, as Toothless raced through the Archipelago. If someone, perhaps from a few years back, lost a child, maybe they were raised to be the Vigilante. Many children over the past twenty years had either died from sickness or killed by dragons. _Maybe this Vigilante was captured._

 _But by dragons?_

The second Toothless, landed on Berk, Hiccup jumped off the Night Fury and scurried through the village. If he knew his parents at all, Dad would have been out doing chiefly duties, while Mom was trying to either clean or cook in order to distract herself from the argument that happened between them.

He just hoped he did not run into his father.

"Ah, the pride of Berk has finally come home!" a man shouted.

Hiccup flinched and stopped walking. _Gods, why do you hate me?_ Hiccup could not tell, but he had the upmost disgusted face plastered on him.

He looked behind him to the owner of the voice and gave a small, yet fake smile. "Oh... hey, Dad. Didn't see you there."

Well, that was a lie. Anyone could see Stoick the Vast from a mile away. Complete with the tall built, which thankfully Hiccup inherited, Stoick's bulking body and huge beard could not be missed. As his name suggested, no one could really tell what he was feeling; his emotions have been said to hide under his beard.

"I was wondering what happened after our talk," Stoick admitted, patting his son's back. "You should have seen Beardhead not two hours ago. He was so hammered, he could put Thor to shame!"

Hiccup laughed along with his father's version of a corny joke. Gods, this could not have been more awkward. "Look, Dad, about that-"

"Heather's staying here for a few days," Stoick said, pushing his son toward the forgery. "Since she might be spending her life her."

 _Nope, this news is even more awkward_. "You know, she might not have to be stuck here," Hiccup insisted.

Stoick laughed. "Right, right. You two can move back and forth, if you want." He pulled Hiccup in closer, as they ducked under the ceiling from the forgery. "I used to have this one house when your mother and I just moved in, and it's close to our house."

Hiccup rolled his eyes once again. "About that-"

The Chief pulled out a saddle and handed it to his son. "And Finna said she'll even help fix it up."

"And you trust her home repair skills?" Hiccup asked, as he reached for a wrench. "It doesn't sound like Finn to want to help me with anything." _Partially true._ "Wait. Did you promise her my bedroom when I moved out?"

Stoick shrugged. "I was drunk last night. I can't exactly remember what I did."

Hiccup sighed, as he pulled the levers on the saddle, hearing a convincing sound of the metal sticking together. _If only life can be fixed like this_ , Hiccup thought.

It wasn't _his_ fault he didn't want to get married. He was twenty, for crying out loud, from what he heard from his parents, Stoick was twenty-five when he married Valka, who happened to have been fifteen at the time. Hiccup shuttered. He was glad they did not decided to have children then.

Hiccup gulped. "So…. You and Mom aren't mad still, are you?"

Stoick stayed silent for a moment.

Which Hiccup immediately recognized as a bad thing. Silence from his father was never a good thing. _Especially when it involves an argument with Mom._

"Why don't you go see if she needs help with dinner?" Stoick offered, not looking at her son. "I doubt your sister is."

The twenty year old nodded, and grabbed Toothless as he walked out of the forgery without question. He did not have to be told twice to help his mother prepare for dinner. It was better than having to endure awkwardness with his dad.

Both he and Toothless crossed the village and walked inside the house with a quick pace.

The Haddock house was nothing too special: just a kitchen, fire place and a table at the main entrance. There was also the stairs that ran up to the three bedrooms for the four Haddocks. The house was only two floors, and most of the roofs and walls had to be redone since the first house that was built here three hundred years ago.

For the young heir, this was home.

Valka Haddock was standing at the ketches, and filleting what appeared to be fish. _Ah... haddock. How ironic._

The forty year old woman smiled at the sight of her son. And Hiccup found himself grinning as well. He always felt close to his mother, especially when he was off training to fight dragons and his mother worried sick about him.

Hiccup went over and kissed her cheek. "Hey, Mom," he said, as he grabbed a knife and a smelly fish.

"My, you're in a better mood," Valka noticed with a small grin. "Did you and Toothless enjoy the flight?" she asked, as Toothless came over and licked Valka's face.

"Are Gobber's socks the smelliest on Berk?" Hiccup asked, beginning to cut the fish. Toothless snorted and walked over to the fire place to curl up.

Valka nodded, with a laugh. "I'll take that as a yes."

The stairs started to rupture with loud clanking of boots. It sounded like a thunder storm coming from their own house. However, Hiccup knew not to worry. It was merely his seventeen year old sister.

"You could have told me you were back, Fishbone," Finna Haddock retorted.

Hiccup looked back at his sister. With a shrug, he said, "And miss the opportunity to piss you off? No way."

Finna shrugged in response.

"Fin, dear. Why don't you make yourself useful and bring in some firewood?" Valka asked.

There was a sigh from the teenage Viking. "Got it, Ma."

Once Hiccup heard the door slam shut, he looked back at his mother. "So... you and Dad aren't talking at the moment…."

Valka stopped cutting for a second.

A sense of worry swept over Hiccup. The young adult knew how difficult Valka was taking the whole "arranged marriage" fiasco, and he definitely did not want her to remain upset with Stoick. Gods only know how she punished her husband.

Hiccup gulped. His parents rarely fought, and he didn't want to be the cause of their fight. "Mom, if-"

"No, it-it's okay, son." She sighed. "I sent him out."

It was not intentional, but Hiccup found himself chuckling. "What?" he asked, in disbelief. "Sent him out", in his mother's vocabulary, meant that Stoick would not be sharing a bed with Valka for a while. It was a rare occurrence, but Hiccup never really worried about things like that.

The younger man shrugged. "Mom, you didn't have to do that. Dad has a point."

Valka sighed. "I know he does, and he's only doing this for your benefit, but you need to know that he loves you. He just wants you to be happy."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "He has a funny way of showing it." He shrugged. "I don't know. I want to marry for – well – not because of a law or it would help Berk. I want to marry when… I'm ready." Did it sound as selfish as he thought?

"I was not much older than Fin when I had your brother," Valka admitted.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. His mother rarely mentioned Haldor Haddock, unless on his would-have birthday, falling in late summer. "Was… was he a hiccup?"

"No, but he didn't breathe. I thought, after he died, I was not ready to provide your father with an heir. But he and I worked through the pain, and it made us stronger. He was…is, my best friend." Valka sighed again. "As much as I don't want you to be forced into marriage, I think you and Heather will grow to love each other."

Hiccup nodded, but he could not help but hold back a groan. That _was_ what most people had told him. _You'll grow to love each other._ He hated hearing that phrase. Not that he did hated Heather or anything… it just seemed weird to slowly love a stranger.

"And if we don't?" Hiccup asked, not convinced.

There was a small smirk from his mother, slowly creeping on her face. "Then it gives you a reason to marry that woman you met."

Hiccup found himself laughing. However, it was more of a fake laugh. "H-how do yo-? I did _not_ meet a girl."

Valka merely smirked. "I know a love stuck man when I see one." When Hiccup did not respond, due to the growing red on his face, she chuckled. "So tell me, is she pretty?"

 _Pretty as in pretty insane_ , Hiccup thought, the choking incident coming to mind. "Well… she – uh… uses actions over words." He rubbed his cheek. "And she is quite loyal."

"I'm guessing you insulted her with your dragon peace talks," Valka noted. She leaned in closer so only he could hear. "But you know I might have to go kill her for choking you nearly to death."

"Gods, how do you notice those things?" Hiccup asked, now blushing as red as the mark on his cheek, and his neck to match. "You could be wrong about all of that."

"I'm your _mother_. I know everything," Valka teased.

Finna Haddock barged through the door. Her face was red from sweating and in the heat, and her sword was in hand. "Did I hear Hiccup's in love?"

"Finn, I am _not_ in love!" Hiccup insisted to the seventeen year old. "She almost killed me _twice_!"

The teenager walked over to her brother, with her auburn hair tied up in a braid, and observed his neck with interest. "Whoa. And _quite_ a grip, too. How old is she?" she asked.

Hiccup chuckled. "Around my age, I think." _Which reminds me._ "Mom, was there a baby or a kid that was taken by dragons a few years ago?" he asked.

Valka stayed silent, for a few seconds. Perhaps a few seconds too long. "Why, son?" she asked, finally.

Hiccup knew that his mother was _never_ for the dragon raids. She always kept her children inside while the raids commenced, and she only came out to heal the wounded. Valka secretly thought that the dragons were more intelligent than raging monsters, and Hiccup's relationship with Toothless only proved the case. Any mention of the dragon raids brought pain in her heart, as for most Vikings.

"There might have been one."

 _One, out of possible thousands…_ Hiccup walked over to the table and placed the cutlery where his sister was cleaning off her sword.

Something about Valka seemed… as though she knew. A soul was taken from Berk, but she knew that they were raised by dragons instead of killed by them.

"Seventeen years ago, I was watching you and the Hoffersons' daughter. Both of you were good friends. But…" she shook her head. "A female Deadly Naddar came out of nowhere. She… looked at Hiccup with such interest… like Cloudjumper did before your father captured him. However, the Hofferson daughter stood up and made this roar at the dragon. Then… the Naddar left with her."

The heir allowed himself to stay silent. There was some… truth in her story. He knew of the Hoffersons, as they took part in many of the raids.

Hiccup's face filled with redness. It made sense how he recognized the woman. He was... friends with her at one point.

 _She must have recognized me_.

"She might have survived," Valka admitted, as she started to cut another fish. "I guess it's possible. Dragons are not stupid creatures. They must have sensed something unique about her." She looked up at her son. "Like you."

 _Another person like me…._

Hiccup shrugged. The sudden information was making his mind spin. "I-uh" He walked over to the stairs. "I think I'm going to lie down for a bit, before supper." He trudged up the stairs before he could hear his mother's approval.

He found himself literally collapsing against the hardwood that made his bed. In all his life, he never thought he would be happy just to fall asleep here. The redness was still in his face and he could feel in his neck, where the woman had tightened he grip on his neck.

The twenty year old sighed. There were so many mixed feelings from the woman. At one point, she was this sick and insane vigilante who was willing to kill him. Oh, and she had a strange loyalty to dragons to the point that she would kill to protect them. He shuttered.

On the other hand… he felt excited. She had this…. _connection_ with dragons. Something he was not sure that anyone else had. She was so…. in sync with her Deadly Naddar. It was like the two shared the same mind.

Like himself and Toothless.

He heard Toothless join him some time later. The Night Fury tried to crawl in bed beside Hiccup, but it proved to be too small. Yet, the dragon was persistent, and nuzzled against Hiccup with affection.

Hiccup stroked Toothless' scales. "I'm crazy, aren't I?" he asked.

" _You're beyond crazy,"_ Toothless huffed. He licked Hiccup on the cheek for good measures, despite his protests. " _But you're my crazy human."_

"Alright, I get it." He sighed as he looked up at the ceiling, staring at the empty old boards.

He could not find himself taking his mind off the Valkyrie. Yes, he called her Valkyrie. Because she had the beauty that out-masked many maidens. And that she was deadly. Valkyries were warriors who decided who was to go to Valhalla.

A _fine_ description for this woman.

Yet, he knew it was insane. They were… different. She was obviously feral... who knew a surprisingly enough Norse vocabulary. She was willing to kill him, to protect her dragons. She was immensely loyal to dragons. A Valkyrie among dragons.

As for him… He was an heir to Berk. He was Dragon Master, a tamer of dragons. His title alone should have angered the Valkyrie, if that was not the case already. That was what he knew. He knew how to train dragons.

If there was one thing certain about him and this… Valkyrie Among Dragons….

Their paths should _not_ have crossed.

* * *

From the dragon sanctuary, the woman looked down at the ground. It wasn't like her to do it. But she just... found the ground interetsting. How it grew plants from grass to tall tress, and fed small animals.

But this ground, right at her feet... was interesting. The same soil where the young man had disappeared, probably never to be seen again. Where he stood. Where she grabbed his neck and lifted him off his feet, and his strange shiny one.

She could still smell his scent, which was a mix of the light air and pine needles. It burned in her memory, wanting to savor the smell. It reminded her of the smell of dragons; the wildness, the risk, the freedom…

She pushed herself away from the ground. _Not a bad scent._

" _Flame?"_

The woman lifted her head, to where the Deadly Naddar nuzzled against her rider. There was a low rumble from the dragon, and the human mimicked a purring noise in return.

She sighed. Her sister was the only dragon she could reveal her true feelings to. _"I'm alright, Stormfly. I just… I can't get his scent out of my mind."_

 _"If he was a dragon, he would have been handsome_." The Deadly Naddar shrugged, as her children began to squawk around them. _"Flametorch, did you notice how attuned he was with the young ones?"_

 _"You're insane,"_ the woman, Flametorch, insisted in Dragonese. _"He could not…"_

 _"Mother said she sensed something special about you, remember?"_ Stormfly asked. When Flametorch nodded in agreement, she added, _"She told me that she remembered a boy with bright green eyes who spoke to her."_

Flametorch shrugged. She wished she could remember fully.

 _Was_ he the same boy?

The young man had the same scar. The boy had a chin scar as well. They shared the same shade of green eyes, which reminded her of the sweet pine smell of his hair. Of the scents of spring and summer, and freedom.

One of the baby Deadly Naddars rubbed its head against her legs, which were crossed over on the ground. She smiled as she stroked its soft scales. _I forgot how much softer hatchling scales are, compared to the adults…_

" _I am not sure_ ," Flametourch decided. " _I cannot seem to remember such a boy._ "

" _What if he decides to come back?_ " Stormfly asked. She crouched down and brought her children closer to her. " _As much as the Night Fury was kind to my children, I am still not sure about this man._ "

Flametourch released a low vibrate from the bottom of her throat. Years of being surrounded by dragons allowed her to mimic their communication of Dragonese, along with vocal sounds. It helped when she wanted to scare other humans, or simply express deepen anger.

"He would be wise to not return." Memory of his eyes piercing with slight fear flashed, and the feeling of power over him sparked her anger. He had no place her with her or her dragons. He was just like those other humans who killed and enslaved her dragon family. Just like the people who abandoned her as a child.

From what she could tell, he was used to using words with people he should not be associating with. He had this confidence with her, as when he tried to tell her that he was not the Night Fury's master.

 _He's never where he should be,_ she thought.

She sighed as she looked up at the ice-made walls. She had to admit, he technically was not harming anyone. Unlike most humans she had seen trap dragons for the fun of it. And yet… he didn't hurt Stormfly's babies, either. _That_ was something, right? And he knew when to leave, after she told him twice.

For some reason… her instincts made her feel… connected to him.

She had never met another human who was in sync with his dragon. Most riders… ordered their dragons. To the untrained eye, the dragons seemed to only respond by word of Viking. Flametourch only knew from the countless rescue missions she displayed in the past five winters.

But not this man.

He and the Night Fury were _definitely_ in sync.

When the man left, he merely jumped on the Night Fury's back. And both knew to use that strange contraption – he said he uses it to fly the dragon – without words or motions. It was like… trust. Both moved together in sync. And when Stormfly went to attack the man, the Night Fury did not hesitate to protect him.

Her eyes narrowed at the ground. She did not like this feeling. Was it jealousy? Attraction? She was unfamiliar with either feelings. Growing up different than other dragons made her feel like an outsider, but never jealousy. And she did not harbor sexual or romantic attractions to any male dragons, either.

She didn't know.

As the thousands of dragons swarmed the nest, Flametorch could not help but remember that she was not the only human with the soul of a dragon.

There were now two.

And she felt threatened by it.


	3. Best Intentions

_You can be angry with me. I haven't updated within a week. Well, I didn't plan much of this story (kind of a last minute thing), and this chapter was way different than my original intention. I think I did three rewrites before I got this._

 _Holy.. this is almost 4,000 words for this chapter alone... sorry XD_

 _Anyway, here's chapter 3 :). Leave a comment and tell me what you think :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 3: Best Intentions  
_

Hiccup knew he was in trouble.

And not in the literal sense. When he was " _in trouble_ ", it was when he was trying to keep peace between tribes or integrating dragon riding in cultures. Which would involve his parents to help him. Or when he accidentally allowed Toothless to get captured by Dagur simply because he believed that there was an island full of Night Furies. He shuttered. Then there was that time when he might had started a war between the Hystericals and Meatheads because he forgot to give them dragons.

He didn't mean to. It was what he was meant to do, anyway.

He had to keep peace somehow. And dragon was his way of doing it.

Supper had been extremely awkward that evening, but everyone acted the same. His father picked at his food as usual. Finna tried to experiment with her axe and cut her fish. Valka stopped her from doing such a thing, then preceded to ask how everyone's day was. Hiccup also picked at his food, but he at least talked a bit.

But _he_ did not speak that much.

Most nights, he would talk about the places he went. Of how he stopped trappers from harming dragons, and convinced even the most stubborn Vikings in the Barbaric Archipelago to consider dragons in their lives.

His mind kept wandering to the Valkyrie Among Dragons. The mysterious girl who was into dragons like he was. Well, he wasn't for _sure_ that she was just as a fanatic about dragons like he was, but he liked the idea. He grinned, which probably made him look like an idiot. The title sounded… different. Something that no one would expect. Like a mystery.

A part of him yearned to see her again. But he knew she would kick his ass, or choke him again, if he returned. She was _deadly_ , that much was clear. It was present not only in her stance, but her eyes. There had been a fire within those sapphire eyes. A fierce light that could not be contained.

Not to mention the dragons. The hundreds of dragons that he did and did not recognize. How many could there have been? Thousands, if he had the time to count.

"What's got you so happy?" Valka asked.

Hiccup shot his head up. Both his parents and Finna were looking right at him, three pairs of green eyes of different shades. It was _creepy_.

He shrugged. "Oh. I was just thinking about…." He paused. "Seeing Heather."

Valka looked surprised, and looked at Finna. Both women looked curiously at each other, as though they had a secret language. Then, both glanced at Hiccup with questioning looks.

Stoick didn't seem to notice his wife and daughter's darting looks, because he smiled at Hiccup. "You are thinking about the proposal?" he asked, with a hopeful pitch in his voice.

Hiccup's initial reaction was to completely deny his involvement with the marriage. Thinking of Heather was the last thing on his mind. Especially right now. He was growing tired with thinking about _not_ getting married, along with hearing himself oppose to it.

But… why did he have the sudden urge to say Heather instead of the Valkyrie?

"I didn't say that," Hiccup said, choosing his words carefully. "I meant… I didn't give her enough of a chance. I think I should give some time to get to know her… before thinking about proposals."

He bit his tongue. The words he used… they sounded too much like a contract. Like a peace treaty between two islands. Except… he was the contract. Well… Heather and I.

But he could not help but realize that he was not talking about Heather, either.

The Chief smiled. "Well… there's an idea. It's been about time, son-" Valka shoved him hard in the shoulder. "What- Oh." He shook his head and looked back at Hiccup. "Alright… your mother and I talked while you were lying down. And… I will admit that I have been a little harsh about the marriage." His eyes darted a little before finally settling on looking right at Hiccup's eyes. "You don't have to get married to a total stranger, and I understand how it feels."

Hiccup stared at his father in bewilderment. "Really?"

"Yes." Stoick rubbed his hands. "Your mother and I," he looked at Valka with the same loving look Hiccup had seen for twenty years. "We were in an arrange marriage. We were acquaintances, but we did not truly become husband and wife until we were ready. And in love."

"What he's trying to say," Valka said, locking hands with her husband, "is that you are old enough to decide what you want. You don't have to consider marriage until you have decided what you wanted."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "But you still want me to consider Heather."

Valka opened her mouth. "Hiccup…"

The twenty year old stood up with his fish and before he could fathom what he was doing, he was already walking his way to the Great Hall. He didn't hear his mother call him back. He didn't see Toothless follow him. He didn't remember sitting in the Hall.

And he certainly did not recall knowing why he was there.

Some of the villagers were in there, eating what appeared to be mashed potatoes from Trader Johan (from a place called Ireland) and deeply cooked yak. Hiccup sniffed the air. The steak's aroma mixed well with the sweet smell from the potatoes, and his stomach seemed to agree as well.

But his cooked haddock was still freshly cooked. And Valka had worked so hard to cook it.

He sighed, as he reached into his pocket. The last thing he wanted to do was stay angry at his mother. She wasn't the one who made him walk out. He just assumed that… after their talk merely an hour ago would have made a difference. In Stoick's decision, that is.

Yet… it seemed that he was only changing the requirements of the marriage.

And his mother… she changed her mind on this?

Hiccup wanted to throw something. He wanted to yell at the gods for her betrayal. Something to release his anger. This whole arrangement wasn't fair. Did his parents give him a say in all this?

 _He's still forcing us to marry… just not anytime soon._

"Is it alright if I sit here?" a voice asked.

Hiccup shrugged, not much as looking up at the new voice. "Be my guest," he grunted, gesturing his hands to the empty table. Yea, his voice gave off that he was grumpy. And he meant it. So what? Many Hooligans were grumpy about _something_ at one point or another.

The girl, yes it _was_ a girl, sat down with her food. Shyly, she looked up at Hiccup, but then smiled. "Wait. _Hiccup_?"

Hiccup looked up at the girl and grinned, feeling his somewhat terrible mood disappear. The last person he would have thought to sit with him was _here_. "Hey, Heather."

Surprisingly, he was actually _glad_ to see her. Well, to see someone that was _not_ his parents, at least.

It was… a surprise, nevertheless.

"It's been a while, huh?" Heather asked, her blue eyes full.

Hiccup shrugged, as he laid out his notebook. "Too long," he agreed.

The young heir glanced at Heather, but he tried not to stare at her. Her hair, a dark black twirled in a braid, hung long down the side of her head. Her outfit… fit to her slim body, showing off her natural curves. In one hand held a plate of potatoes and yak meat, while her other hand held a small notebook, around the same size as his own.

While she sat herself down, Hiccup's mind recalled to their last meeting. "Do you uh..." he gulped. It had been a few months since he last saw her… "-still practice alchemy?"

Heather nodded. "After my father succeeded my uncle as Chief of Hysteria Island, I had the chance to study with Katherine the Sleek."

 _Right_. He and Heather had gotten into a rather lengthy discussion about alchemy… to which she did not stop talking about. Things like mixing metals and creating chemical reactions (yea…. _not_ exactly his thing).

Then again, he had to give her some credit; he did not shut up about dragons (and even included showing her a dragon to try out). He had to smile at that: it seemed that both were obsessed about an interesting topic.

"Is she a good teacher?" Hiccup asked.

"One of the best." Heather glanced at his notebook. "Did you draw that?" she asked, her voice full of interest.

Hiccup folded out the notebook, which revealed to be a rather large map. It was so big that Hiccup had to move his place aside on the bench seat. He didn't notice Toothless eat his half-eaten fish as he showed Heather the map. It displayed Berk in the middle, with other islands surrounding it. Each area had a certain dragon associated with it, and marked in his writing.

"Toothless and I travel when we can, and add locations where we find dragons." He frowned. "Except, there's this one place I can't seem to locate." He pointed to the east side of the map, where the map ended. "I figure it was around her… but I didn't think to write it down."

Heather inched closer to the map. "Was it interesting?"

"If by interesting, you mean it was full of dragons," Hiccup said.

Heather laughed a light chuckle.

"I'm not kidding; there were hundreds! More species that I could ever count!" Hiccup exclaimed.

Heather smiled, and Hiccup could not help but notice that it was small. Yet… it suited her. "It sounds amazing. Are you going back?"

"That is yet to be determined," Hiccup admitted. The thought of the Valkyrie's hand around his neck was still there as though she was still choking him. "There's this person... and she didn't seem happy to see me."

"A feral dragon person?" Heather assumed.

"A Valkyrie Among Dragons," Hiccup corrected. "She's... crazy. She almost killed me." He chuckled. "And for a moment… I thought Mom knew her."

Heather looked confused. " _Knew_ her?" she asked. "How old is this… _Valkyrie_?"

"Maybe our age." Hiccup sighed. "Mom said that I used to have this friend, and she was taken by dragons roughly seventeen years ago."

The young woman nodded. "It would make sense. Not many people are taken by dragons. Especially children." She picked at her food. "Wonder what spared her."

"Mom has this theory that some people are just born… different. Connected to dragons." He patted Toothless' head. "I used to not like dragons all that much because of this." He pointed to his chin scar. "I don't really remember, but I used to have dreams of this Deadly Naddar that scratched me, and this girl with blonde hair."

Heather's eyes seemed to widen with the progression of the story. "Whoa. And you think this little girl is the Valkyrie?"

"Perhaps." He ran a hand through his hair. "Like I said: I can't just _go_ there. Not only would my dad use Skullcrusher to hunt me down and kill me, the Valkyrie will kill me first."

"Oh… because of the marriage," Heather assumed.

Hiccup nodded. Stoick had addressed the dangers of leaving Berk unsupervised, in case something happened to him. Especially if he got killed. Which made sense; he was the son of the Chief, and he had to keep himself alive.

"This marriage thing is dumb."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You hate this arrangement?"

"Oh... not you," Heather said. "Dad is worried since I am passed the average age for women to marry. And it sucks because he keeps asking and asking me about it." She sighed, as she looked down at her book. "I just don't want to marry until I'm ready. And yet…. If I get married, I won't be able to complete my magnum opus."

The young man tilted his head slightly. "What's a magnet opus?"

" _Magnum_ opus, and it means Great Work," Heahter explained. "I read about it once in a book, and if I can require the right ingredients, I can make a stone which theoretically make anything into gold." She frowned. "But there's no way I can complete it if I'm a mother."

Hiccup nodded in agreement. He had to admit that he did not enjoy the arrangement, but at least Heather was just as unhappy as he was about the arranged marriage. And that she, too, had ambitions to do.

"I guess I don't want to be tied down, either," Hiccup admitted. When Heather's eyes darted away, he continued, "I don't know…. I just feel that I have to explore there. Out there, you know? I don't…" he sighed, "I'm not like you."

"You'd be pretty boring if you were," the young woman said. Hiccup would have sensed the sarcasm if he wasn't feeling tormented. "Not all of us are the same, anyway."

"No. You know exactly who you are." Hiccup sighed. "I'm _not_ my dad. I'm not this… chief who can work anything out for his people. And I'm not my mother, who is this free spirit in this sky. And don't get me started on the whole dragon thing. Once she realized how much she loved flying, she left Berk for five months."

Heather laughed a little. "And your sister?"

"Oh, Finna? She's a good mixture of both, I think. She'd bang her head against a rock if Dad asked her to, but she's pretty good with the whole dragon business." He chuckled. "I'm _definitely_ not my sister, either. I don't have her potential as chief. So what does that make me?"

It was odd; he never shared this information with anyone before. Well, besides Toothless; who was now purring against his arm. Yet, he found it incredibly easy to talk with Heather. She was a bystander in his life, so she had no biased standings against what he said.

And he had to admit, he quite enjoyed it.

Heather thought for a moment. "Well… you're the best of both. You'd advocate for both dragons and Vikings."

Hiccup shrugged. "I guess so."

Heather held his hand gently. "You know what? I say we find out."

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"You want to see this Valkyrie, right? And you want to find out who you are. I say we go there, and maybe it will give you some closure." She smirked. "Besides, there may be some ingredients I can get to complete my magnum opus."

Hiccup was slightly stunned. "You… want to come with _me_?"

"Sure, why not?" Heather asked. "It would get our dads off our backs, and we both get what we want."

For some reason, Hiccup found himself fill with joy. Not much over the whole marriage thing, but that this acquaintance, now possibly a new friend, was willing to go to see the Valkyrie with him. To possibly go on one more look at the Valkyrie. A new sense of bravery to meet her again. To see the dragons, and ask her questions about them.

He had to admit… he was excited to look for the Valkyrie with Heather.

* * *

Stormfly lifted her head. " _I smell the trappers._ "

Flametorch's head jolted upwards, and she stood up. One hand grabbed the axe that hung from her waist. She could feel the anger in her veins begin to broil. It always happened when she heard that dreaded word.

 _Trappers,_ she thought. As though the thought itself was poisonous. " _I say we pay them a visit_ ," Flametorch offered.

Stormfly cooed at the news, and rattled her wings with anticipation. Flametorch crawled on her back, and held her axe out. Right on the ends of the axe were small rattles, barely noticable from far away. She took the axe and began to shake it, causing the rattles to create a racket.

From a few miles her way, the dragons circling the nest began to swarm and call out warnings. They roared and screamed, trying to awaken the ice sculpture that laid asleep in the water.

Flametorch patted Stromfly. The Deadly Naddar roared and flew over to the ice sculpture that laid in the middle of the nest.

Flametorch walked over to the ice sculpture and bowed to it. Stormfly, too, bowed her head down. The woman closed her eyes and sighed. _Remember: keep your head low, she reminded herself._ She knew she could get away with it, but she did not want to anger him.

" _My King, there are trappers with our brothers and sisters."_

The ice sculpture lifted its head, revealing to be a dragon. It was larger than the common dragon; it could defeat a Queen dragon with little effort. No wings, yet this dragon was monstrous and fearful to gaze at. Its tusks, thicker than trees, could knock down boats and crush mountains. Its snow scales and jaded head piece kept it cameoflagued with ice and snow.

The largest dragon known to humans: the Bewilderbeast.

He stood himself up. With a slow move of his head, he as well sniffed the air.

" _It is the Son of Trapper_ ," the Bewilderbeast said. " _He comes back for our blood."_

" _Icespitter, I would like to go help this time_ ," Flametorch insisted. " _I have proved myself to protect this nest for years. I want to prove it now."_

Icespitter looked down at the small human. " _Astrid Flametorch, you have been brought to me by your dragon mother, Heavenwings, many years ago. Scared, alone, you soon learned to live amongst us. You are a feisty spirit, a fire to which you were named from_." He shook his head. " _You have been around humans little, and do not know how to react to them."_

Astrid raised her head. " _I have learned from them_ ," she said, with defence. " _The one boy taught me more of the Viking Speak-"_

" _Too long ago_ ," Icespitter said, with more aggression in his voice. " _You have loyalty for dragons, but you have no regards for human life. You only know of inflicting pain on humans. Why is it that the Dragon Master has not yet to see me?_ "

Astrid kept her head down. " _He… knew how dangerous it would be to be here."_

Icespitter looked down at her quizzically, but he did not question her. " _As I recall, one of my most loyal dragons, Cloudjumper, left because he sensed a Soul of a Dragon on the island called Berk_."

Astrid growled at the mention of her old home. _Berk. No_. Not her home. _Not_ where her parents never bothered to find her.

But she knew who her real family was. _Here_. She _loved_ her home here. Her family. The Deadly Naddars that raised her, and Icespitter whom allowed her to live her. The dragons whom he saved; she healed their wounds. And she wanted to protect the nest.

Why could Icespitter not see this?

Stormfly lifted her head only to inch closer to Astrid. The human knew well Stormfly could not resist the Alpha's stares. " _Flametorch, he knows what to do. He protects us_."

" _An alpha protects them all,"_ Astrid recited. She glanced back at Icespitter. " _But… I want to protect you, Icespitter. You and Heavenwings are the reason I am here. You and Stormfly are my family, along with the rest of the dragons here._ "

Icespitter released a low sigh. " _When you can prove that your anger for humans is not misjudged, you shall help. For now, you must trust me to save the dragons_."

Astrid sighed. " _Yes, my King."_

The Bewilderbeast nodded his head, and sprayed Astrid with his icy breath.

As the King turned his massive body around, Astrid found her thoughts going to the odd boy that saw her. She didn't even catch his name. But he was definitely the Soul of a Dragon. She was sure now. The King had confirmed it.

She did not even know _her_ name. It was _Astrid_ … but that was all she knew. And she _knew_ there was more to her name. Humans had two names mostly. Which was probably why she stayed Astrid Flametorch, but went by Flametorch mostly.

She never forgot her human name. Or that her family disserted her.

" _Come on, Astrid. We should leave him to go_ ," Stormfly said.

With some encouragement, Astrid Flametorch nodded and stood up. The great King roared once again, and made his way under the water, disappearing out of sight.

" _I never understood how he could not control you_ ," Stormfly admitted.

Astrid looked down at the water where the mighty king left, with sadness in her eyes. " _I am not a dragon_ ," she said, simply.

Stormfly growled sadly, as Astrid Flametorch watched the last of the other dragons leave with quick flights. Only the babies remained; as they could not be controlled by the Alpha. Especially Stormfly's children, whom had already flown over to play with other dragon children.

Astrid looked behind her, to see if anyone was following her. She saw Stormfly joining her children in their little game, already playing with them gently.

The young woman darted for the cave wall, and crawled down to the base. To her right she found a small tree, and pulled out three new weapons from behind it. One was a bow, with eight hand-made arrows and a matching quiver. The second was a small dagger, and the third weapon was a poisonous dart. They all fit in the quiver, which Astrid slipped on her back with ease.

With a whistle, a baby Scuttleclaw came flying to her. She jumped on his back, and it flew out of the nest quickly. It proved to be difficult, but Astrid Firetorch found herself guiding the baby dragon close to the dragon herd.

The slowest adult, which happened to be a Hobblegrunt, purred at the sight of Astrid. It bowed its head slightly, and flew closer to the baby Scuttleclaw. Astrid took this as an invitation and hopped of the baby dragon, and dived onto the Hobblegrunt.

" _Did you miss me, Thunderblitz?_ " she asked.

The Hobblegrunt's purple scales changed to pink. " _You should not be here. The King forbade it._ "

" _I know_ ," Astrid agreed, with a smirk on her face. " _That is why I am disobeying him._ "

* * *

 _Yea, here I am with another note._

 _I just wanted to point out that Heather studies alchemy in this, which relates to "Dragon Academy". Plus the whole "magnum opus" thing is a four-step process in making the Philosohper's Stone (here, I'm just calling it a stone that can make gold). Anyway, I thought it would give some flavour for Heather.  
_

 _Alrightie... that's all. So I'll see you next time :)_


	4. Good Ideas Become Twisted

_Hey guys. I know this is late, but I have been finishing school up and now have time to work on this. Plus I watched Dragons: Race to the Edge, and saw how much Heather changed XD. So... I decided to change her a little._

 _To answer Mark's question, yes_ **I am expanding this story** _. Five chapters will not be efficient for such a story, would it? XD_

 _So don't worry, I will not be ending it soon. I don't know how many chapters there will be, to be honest. Definitely more than five, though._

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 4: Good Ideas Become Twisted_

The skies were filled with blue streams.

It was the promising to bring good weather. It was what the Archipelago needed in the growing months of winter coming. The sun to warm the cold homes. Especially the wind, which was not as treacherous as it usually would have been. The gods seemed to bless the day with the promise of a good year.

It was the perfect day to go flying.

Toothless was happy; he always was happy. Especially when Hiccup was with him. The two friends were inseparable, after all. It was not uncommon for the two to be seen together. And why wouldn't they? They were brothers, almost.

Hiccup smiled, feeling the air hit his eyes. Not his face directly; he had to thank his mask for that. But up here, in the cool air, was where he felt the most relaxed. This was where he felt free. _This is what it feels to be a dragon._

"Is this where you saw her?" Heather asked, looking up from her dragon, Windshear.

Both Hiccup and Heather were in the air, high in the air. Below them was mist that covered the world in a blanket of clouds, and the two dragons

Hiccup shrugged. "I think so." He squinted his eyes. "But it was earlier in the day when she attacked."

* * *

 _Hiccup gasped, as he looked at the Razorwhip. Its scales were silver, as though she was wearing armor. And her tail was covered in spikes. Hiccup reached over and stroked her shiny scales. Surprisingly, they were not sharp to the touch._

 _"This… is your dragon?" he asked._

 _Heather nodded. "I found her not too long ago, back when Dad and I left home." She rubbed the dragon's head. "I don't know how, but she came in and saved my father and I after our village was attacked."_

 _Hiccup stopped petting Windshear. "Attacked? You didn't say your island was attacked."_

 _"No… because I didn't mention it," Heather admitted. "A man attacked our island… but this Deadly Naddar came in… with a rider… and Windshear was with her."_

 _Hiccup pondered at the news. "Do you think it was the rider?"_

 _"Well, you did say she rode a Naddar, right?" Heather asked._

 _Hiccup shrugged once again. "Yes, but there are plenty of dragon riders who ride Deadly Naddars."_

* * *

Hiccup stared down at the clouds. The way the sun was setting… it was the precise time that he saw her. Yes…. this did seem familiar. The way the sun reached the clouds with different colours. There was no mistaking it. It was though the gods were touching Midgard.

Yet…. He could not seem to remember where the nest led him and Toothless.

There was a laugh from the raven haired girl. "Right. Was that before or after she choked you?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Definitely after." He frowned. "Wait. How do you know she choked me?"

Heather shrugged, but she gave away a smile. "I might have talked to Finna. She's under the impressing that she did more than just try to kill you."

 _Oh gods._ "What exactly did she say?" Hiccup asked, not wanting to hear Heather's answer.

"I might have heard her wrong, but she thinks that she dominated you and took you as her mat-"

"Okay, _no_! That did _not_ happen!" Hiccup insisted, to which Heather started to laugh. "My sister always said that I would be swept away by some strange dragon girl and she would mate with me." He groaned. "It's been her running joke for the past five years."

Heather giggled. "You know I envy you. You two seem so close."

"When your younger sister is your body guard, you tend to take her crap more than most people," Hiccup explained. "The good thing about her is that I don't have to worry about her with boys."

"Right, since brothers have to make sure their sisters aren't with asses, right?" Heather asked.

"I take it you're an only child," Hiccup guessed.

"I don't know, exactly. My dad-"

The dragon cooed, but it was low. Almost like a growl.

"You smell something, bud?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless growled, nodding in agreement.

"The best thing about Night Furies is that they are the fastest dragons we know," Hiccup said, smirking. Toothless seemed to agree, because he looked up at Heather with a grin as well.

Heather smiled with a grin. "I'd like to test that theory," she said. Heather hit Windshear's reins, to which the dragon roared and dived to the islands below. Both dragon and rider soon disappeared in the misty clouds.

Hiccup chuckled, as he heard Heather shout in the excitement. "You know what, bud? She's not half bad."

Toothless rolled his eyes.

* * *

 _"But that doesn't necessarily mean that she was the one who gave you Windshear," Hiccup insisted. "The Valkyrie didn't seem like the type of person to just drop in a dragon when someone's in trouble."_

 _Heather shrugged. "Maybe, but you've only met her once. On the other hand, I saw the rider. They were small, and practically hid on the Deadly Naddar." She stopped. "And the dragon also was blue with yellow spikes." She fixed the saddle on Windshear and hopped on._

 _"Lots of Deadly Naddars are blue," Hiccup retorted. He, too, boarded his Night Fury. "And they all have yellow spikes."_

 _"How many people do you know ride Naddars?" Heather asked._

 _Hiccup didn't say anything._

 _"You'll admit that she's not as bad as you make her out to be?" Heather asked, folding her arms over her chest. "Not everyone's bad."_

 _"I happen to know many people who are," Hiccup said. "For example, Dagur."_

 _Heather frowned. "I completely agree. He's a monster."_

* * *

Toothless and Windshear landed on a small island below. At least, it looked small. There were some trees here and there, but it was mostly a long piece of land that reminded Hiccup of a watchtower.

Both the dragons keeled down, to allow their riders to settle.

Heather glanced at the land around her. Already she had taken an interest on the small island, whose trees matched the change in season. "This is Itchy Armpit?" she asked.

"I know, but Toothless was the one who chose the name," Hiccup said, as he took the map out and laid it out on the ground. "So... we're north of Berk. The island should be closer here. And maybe to the right."

The other woman nodded with certainty, as she looked down at the map. "If I'm correct, there should be some good minerals here I can use for the ingredients."

Hiccup nodded. But there was still one thing that was bothering him, like a small thought at the back of his mind. A woman of Heather's status, being the daughter of a chief, didn't necessarily _need_ gold.

"You know," Hiccup noted, "You never really told me why you wanted to make gold with this stone." He smirked. "Sort of like how you didn't tell me you had a Razorwhip."

Technically, she _did_ tell him. Not about the Razorwhip, though. But it never occurred to Hiccup that Heather _needed_ a reason to make gold. It didn't seem – well, it wasn't completely unrealistic, but it was certainly odd for any woman to want to make gold. Especially when she was the daughter of a new chief.

"I guess…" Hiccup heard Heather sigh with more depth than most of her sighs. "-maybe I thought if we had gold, we wouldn't have to make a deal with Berk." She sighed. "And I wouldn't have to get married."

Hiccup nodded, fully understanding the pressures of marriage.

"I have to admit, this place is really beautiful," Heather admitted, to which Windshear purred in unison. "Do you think the Valkyrie will be here as well?" she asked.

"There's no way of saying." He looked up from the map and glanced at Heather. "You know… I _do_ think the Valkyrie saved you."

Heather brought her knees closer to her body. "What… makes you say that?" she asked. "You said there are many Deadly Naddars out there."

"Well, there aren't many riders out there who have Deadly Naddars; they are stubborn dragons. And our Valkyrie happens to ride one." Hiccup smiled, with a smug grin. "Then again… who knows? It does make her look more… human."

Heather chuckled. "Because her psychopathic personality wasn't a deal-sealer for you?"

"More or less." He frowned. "You know… you said something about Dagur. Him being a… _monster."_

The raven-haired woman frowned. "I did." She sighed. "Remember when I said that I found my home in-"

"Fishbone!"

Hiccup glanced up at the air, and rolled his eyes in disgust. "Oh the gods _hate_ me."

A Woolly Howl landed, and a girl with auburn hair jumped off. The dragon appeared to have fur like a bear, but it really was sharp scales. Its wings were similar to a Night Fury's, and its fangs as sharp as a Monstrous Nightmares.

In her hand was a specially designed hammer, which matched her brown and green coating. Toothless immediately got up from behind Hiccup and ran over to Finna. The teenager patted Toothless, and glanced over at her brother.

"Wait, you took Heather to Itchy Armpit?" she asked, in disgust. The Woolly Howl beside her cooed and went to play with Toothless. "If this is your idea of a first date, it sucks."

Hiccup was about to protest, but Heather started to chuckle. "Oh, so we're bringing sisters along?" she asked with a huge grin on her face. "And here I thought you were more of a one-man type date."

The twenty year old man sighed, as he stood up. "Ignore my twerp of a sister, who doesn't know when to leave people alone." _I'm certain she was only sent here on Midgard to torture me._

Finna smiled with triumphant. "So, what are you nerds up to?"

"Despite what you think, we're actually going to find some minerals and the Valkyrie," Hiccup said. He shoved the map at her, as he walked over to the peak of the island. "We think it was around here when Toothless and I met her."

Finna looked up from the map and raised an eyebrow. "The Val _kyrie_?"

"-Among Dragons," Heather added.

The seventeen year old laughed, dropping the map on the ground. "Valkyrie Among _Dragons_?" she asked. "What kind of a name is _that_?"

Heather smirked, as Windshear purred beside her. "I think it describes this mystery woman rather well." She pat Windshear's head with emphasis. "All we know is that she is this crazy woman who lives among dragons."

Hiccup smiled. " _Thank_ you, Heather." He glared at Finna. "At least _someone_ likes my naming."

"Right, the lady who choked you," Finna remembered, smiling.

"It's true!" Hiccup insisted.

Finna folded her arms over her chest. "Right, and you said that you aren't fucking her."

Heather giggled. "Oh, so _that's_ the wording you said." She folded her arms. "I doubt you kiss your mother with that mouth."

"I did once, but she rinsed with yak soap," the teenager admitted, then looked at her brother. "Besides, you shouldn't be cheating on your fiancé with a wild woman."

Hiccup blushed, as Heather looked out to the woods, supposedly in embarrassment. "Fin, it's not like that, okay?"

Finna didn't answer. She was too busy looking past Blizzard with sudden interest.

"What, are you going to ignore me because I'm _right_?" Hiccup asked. He sighed. "Geeze, Heather and I already agreed-"

Heather patted Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup, look."

Hiccup turned his attention to where Heather and Finna were looking.

He gaped at the far sight of him. Many miles away appeared to be a fort of some kind. But it was on fire; smoke was obviously rising up somewhere. It looked as though an entire forest was recently lit with flames, but it was worse.

 _That's not good_ , Hiccup thought.

* * *

The three dragons flew through the thin black trees.

It was strange; it seemed that an entire forest used to once have a huge supply of leaves growing from the branches, and there should have been signs of life. Perhaps, at one point, there were woodland creatures and grass. Heck, maybe grass as tall as the ones on Berk were here.

But now… all that remained were ashes.

"What _is_ this?" Heather asked.

Windshear growled nervously, as she darted the trees.

"It's like something came it and just burned everything," Hiccup said. He, too, tightened his grip on Toothless' reins. _Whoever did this_ wasn't _happy…._

Finna pointed ahead. "Then what in Hel did _that_?"

Both Hiccup and Heather looked ahead and saw what she was addressing to: it was a large piece of ice, about the size of a small mountain. It looked as though it could pierce a ship.

 _I have a bad feeling about this._ "Stay close you two, okay?" Hiccup asked.

For once, Finna did not verbally respond. As for Heather, she nodded and flew Windshear closer to Toothless. Finna and Blizzard glided beside them as well.

The ice dome contained pieces of wood all over, as though the ice swallowed an entire base in its wrath.

The young man looked down at the enormous ice piece, as Toothless glanced down at a huge footprint. Despite the situation, Hiccup could not help but remain curious about how something like this could happen. What had the capacity to create a large ice sculpture of a death scene? It certainly wasn't from nature or the gods. It was _unnatural_.

They flew around and suddenly heard-

" **Dragons! Fire!"**

Hiccup looked back and a net went right for them.

Toothless and Windshear seemed to dodge them, but Blizzard wasn't as lucky. Toothless dove in after Finna.

"Damn!" Finna shouted, as she fell. "Hiccup!"

Hiccup didn't think twice, as he had Toothless dive after the younger Haddock. Windshear bent down to reach for her as well, as Toothless grabbed her leg with his forepaw. They both threw Finna down to the base, and she landed with ease.

A man grabbed the Woolly Howl with his hands. "C'mon, men! This is a tough laddie, but we'll get her!" he shouted. He was followed by five men with thick coats and trapping equipment, as they clamped down on the dragon's jaw.

Some of the other men charged at Finna, but they were too slow. Hiccup jumped off Toothless and drew out Inferno. Heather drew her long sword and pointed it at the trappers. Finna's hammer stayed in place, ready to pounce.

The man who attacked the Woolly Howl looked up at Toothless with surprise and desire. "Soil my bridges," he whispered. "A Night Fury. And here I thought they were extinct."

Hiccup's Inferno burned as he took a better look at whoever caught his sister's dragon. He was a tall man, that was certain, and possibly a few years older than Hiccup was. The most bizarre thing about the man was that, although his body tone could crush the young Haddock alone, his chin barred a tattoo belonging to a clan.

Needless to say, Hiccup wasn't taking any chances with this guy.

He held a hand up in defense. "Listen, sir. We don't want any trouble. Just give us back the dragon, and we'll be on our way."

The tallest man chuckled. "Oh, _I_ see. So you think you can come here and wreck our camp in the middle of the night, and there wouldn't be any consequences?" he asked, stepping on Blizzard. Finna tried to charge at them, but Heather held her back. "Trapping dragons is hard enough without goody-two shoes dragon riders like you messing it up!"

Heather raised her hands gently, and lowered her sword gently. "Look, it wasn't us who destroyed your fort. No dragon we have could have done something like that, anyway." She placed her sword closer to the ground. "We come in peace from Berk."

Hiccup did not say anything, but he was glad Heather was here to help calm the storm.

However, Finna was ready to hurt someone. "I only come in peace if my dragon isn't harmed."

The tattooed man chuckled, as he walked over to Finna. "And you seem rather bold for a child, eh?" he asked, with a sly grin. He leaned in closer to look her in the eye. "It's too bad you're too childish; people in my village would have taken you for a bride in no time."

Finna merely spat at the man, and raised her hammer.

"O..kay, that's enough male interaction for you," Hiccup said. The teenage girl stepped back, as Hiccup looked up at the tall man, who was wiping spit off his face in disgust. "Look, you _weren't_ attacked by us. We haven't been this _far_ out before." He frowned. "I am _sure_ you were attacked by the Valkyrie."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Val... _kyrie_?" he asked, uncertain of the word. He looked over at his mates, who were as equally as confused. He pointed his knife back at Hiccup. "What is this _Valkyrie_ you speak of?" He stepped closer. "And how do I know this isn't some dragon-rider's trick?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. _I'm going to need to make posters of this woman._ "You know… Valkyrie Among Dragons?" he hinted.

At first, there was silence from the trappers, as they looked at each other with unease. Then, they suddenly joined together in uneven, hard laughs. Hiccup would have grown red in embarrassment if he knew these men. Luckily, his brow only showed annoyance.

The tallest trapper seemed to laugh the hardest, holding his stomach with his hand. "What kind of a bloody name is _that_?" the man taunted. "It sounds like a _child_ came up with it!"

"More like a _papered_ child," one of the men added.

"I know, right?" Finna said, with a smile on her face.

 _Not helping, Fin,_ Hiccup thought, as he glared at her with annoyed eyes. Finna didn't miss it, but she merely shrugged her shoulders.

Hiccup turned his attention back to the tattooed trapper. "It's _not_ a trick, okay? This Valkyrie… she's the _demon_ sent from Valhalla. She'll stop at nothing to imprison all the dragons in this world." Every word was louder than the next, growing in tone. "She's not one to temper with, and she certainly would take your life with one strike, and without mercy. _That's_ why they call her the Valkyrie Among Dragons."

The other trappers looked at each other with nervous expressions. Hiccup assumed that they hadn't heard of such a person, or demon. _Good._

"You've seen her before?" the first trapper asked.

The tallest trapper rolled his eyes. "Teeny, this rider's _obviously_ trying to trick us!" he insisted. "Look, boy-" he pointed his dagger at Hiccup, "-I have witnessed some bizarre sightings in all my twenty-five years on Midgard, and I have _never_ set eyes on this woman before."

"I'm completely honest," Hiccup said. "In fact, I was on my way to see her."

There was a sigh from the tattooed trapper again. "You mean to tell me that a single _woman_ came in with her ice-spitting dragon, and _controlled_ it to _attack_ us," the man said. He scoffed. "It really does sound like a childish antic. No woman can control dragons like that."

Hiccup wanted to sigh in annoyance, but he stood his ground. _This guy would get along with Dad quite well._ "I'm telling the truth. She exists."

"Yea, and I'm not a Son of Eret." He laughed. "Right. Where are my manners? I am Eret, Son of Eret. The finest dragon _trapper_ this world has ever seen."

Hiccup chuckled. "You know, I'm used to being ridiculed by having a strange name, but I suddenly feel better knowing yours."

Toothless growled.

"And this is Toothless, and he says we're going," Hiccup added. "So good-bye to you, Son of Eret. I hope we never have the pleasure to see each other again." He looked back. "Too-"

"Deadly Naddar!" someone shouted.

Hiccup looked at Toothless. _The distraction we needed._ " _Now_ , bud!"

Toothless fired one of his powerful plasma blasts, and a piece of the ice from above them dropped onto the net. Blizzard screeched, and pulled the net off her. One of the trappers tried to capture her again, but Finna came in and swung her hammer at them. She jumped on Blizzard before a trapper could hit her.

Blizzard, joined Toothless and Windshear in the sky, and the dragon riders were gone out of the trappers' sights.

* * *

 _No POV from Astrid? What is this? :O_

 _Don't worry, we'll see Astrid again sooner or later ;)_

 _And don't forget to review! I'd like to hear what you think of this story :). the more response I receive, the faster I'll get this done ;) (I'm evil and manipulative, I know XD)_

 _See you guys soon!_


	5. The Valkyrie's Fury

_Hey, guys. I know this is sort of late. I was going to make this longer, too, but I can't seem to keep more than two thousand words per chapter for Astrid's POV. Hopefully, in the future, I can bump it back up to three thousand._

 _I apologize again for the lateness. Hopefully I can have the next chapter up by Saturday :)  
_

 _Don't forget to review and tell me what you think :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 5: The Valkyrie's Fury  
_

"Get that Dragon Rider!" the man shouted.

The Deadly Naddar released a roar, causing the men below to raise their shields from the vast echo. It was like a sonic wave that slapped them hard, but it didn't prepare them for the amount of darts that headed their way.

On top of the dragon hid Flametorch.

The woman glanced down at the ground, as the men tried to shoot down her sister dragon. The men, with their coats extracted from different animals, seemed to not be able to aim well. Flametorch smiled. _Nice and stealthy_ , she thought. The second she noticed their glances with empty eyes, she signaled Stormfly to hid behind the ice sculptures passed the dead trees.

Flametorch watched the men stop fighting. They collected their weapons and boarded the large ship. Flametorch squinted her eyes. She couldn't remember them well; it had been dark last night. Not to mention that there were more than one in the dark.

"Do you think the boy was right?" a man asked.

A strange tattooed man rolled his eyes. "About the Valkyrie? Yes and no." He picked up a hook that was attached to a rope. "There's no way a woman could have come in here and attacked us."

Astrid kept her head low. _What are they talking about?_

"I don't know, Eret. That man seemed pretty convinced that there's something called a Valkyrie Among Dragons out there. I mean, what other demon could control and ice-spitting dragon?" the man asked.

The man, supposedly known as Eret, shook his head. "Teeny, how about you worry about how the boss is going to stain my ass for not bringing enough dragons for his shipment, eh?" he shouted. He threw the rope at Teeny. "And enough with this Valkyrie business! That man was trying to scare us, what with him and his Night Fury and the other dragons."

Teeny sighed, and threw the rope on the small raft sitting beside the destroyed fort. "The Razorwhip and Woolly Howl weren't enough for you?" he asked.

" _Come, Stormfly. We should head back_ ," she whispered.

The Deadly Naddar was about to protest, but she listened to her rider. Stormfly flapped her wings, and turned her attention away from the destroyed fort.

It was a while before the two sisters spoke. The silence was calming, but Astrid was worried. Stormfly never stayed angry at Astrid, and she hadn't been this quiet.

" _I don't know what you did last night, but I doubt the King's happy,"_ Stormfly said. " _You disobeyed his wishes_."

Astrid rolled her eyes. " _I did what I had to do. That Trapper would have killed those innocent dragons._ " She sighed, as she patted her sister's neck. "Besides, I don't think the Trapper would appreciate seeing us here."

* * *

 _Thunderblitz growled as she followed the mighty King dragon._

 _Astrid watched from the Hobblegrunt's back as the skies grew darker, and the seas calm to the darkening night. The hundreds of dragons swarm over the sea, sensing the presence of their protector, as they traveled the length of the ocean._

 _It wasn't long before they stopped in a forest, where hundreds of tress grew in beauty. The larger dragons hid near the base of the trees, while smaller dragons watched from the top of the tress._

 _Astrid jumped off Thunderblitz, and climbed up a tree._

 _Once she was at the top, she saw what her brothers and sisters noticed. An entire camp, presumably a base, made of wood. It covered the entire bit of land, and it stood tall with many rooms. The platform circled around it, while men stood at different posts._

 _The Terrible Terrors hid amongst the branches, and their eyes were concentrated on the towering platforms._

* * *

Stormfly continued to fly, while Astrid Flametorch held close to her and thought.

The man… _trapper_ … spoke of something called a Valkyrie, whatever a Valkyrie was. Astrid smirked. Whatever it was…. those big men seemed scared of it. It seemed weird that they would cower in fright to a woman known as a Valkyrie. And what did they mean, that the Valkyrie attacked them? The only thing that attacked them was herself and the rest of the nest.

 _Unless…_

Astrid shook her head. No, the idea was preposterous. Whatever a Valkyrie was, it didn't address to her, right? There must have been some other type of creature that came in and attacked them as well. Heck, if dragons existed, there _must_ have been this thing called a Valkyrie…

" _Stormfly, do you know what a Valkyrie is?"_ Astrid asked.

The dragon peered her head around to face her rider slightly. " _You mean what that man was talking about?_ " she asked. The dragon shook her head. " _I can't say I have."_

 _Thanks for being so helpful,_ Flametorch thought, bitterly.

* * *

 _"You're not worried, are you?" Astrid asked some of the Terrible Terrors._

 _A red Terrible Terrors didn't flinch. "The King says the Son of Trapper has captured some of our own."_

 _"And he doesn't want you here, Flametorch," a blue one snarled._

 _"Look, I know what he said, but that isn't going to stop me from helping you guys." She squinted her eyes. "Who's in there?"_

 _"Flap, Twitch, and Boomer," the red Terrible Terror said._

 _Astrid sighed. "Those new Snafflefangs. They wandered too far, didn't they?" She hummed to herself. "I have an idea, but it will cause some distress."_

 _"I'm up for it!" a young orange Terrible Terror exclaimed._

 _The red and blue Terrors growled. "Shut up, Pipsqueak!"_

 _Flametorch rolled her eyes and allowed Pipsqueak to hop on her shoulder. "Come on, then." She jumped down to the ground again, and scurried through the trees, ignoring the ridicule form the other dragons._

* * *

Stormfly stopped flying, and landed back at the Dragon Sanctuary.

The human woman sighed heavily, as she and the dragon descended to the large pool. Her nerves were starting to tingle, as her worried thoughts took over her mind. She knew the King's reaction would be negative, despite his gentle nature, but it didn't help her calm down.

The King stood near the edge of his pool, and glanced down at Astrid. The human immediately bowed her head, as Stormfly bowed as well. Yet, neither tried to show any form of eye contact to the majestic king. They did not dare to.

" _Why did you come to the raid last night?"_ he asked softly.

The young human didn't look up at him. " _I didn't mean to anger you, my King. I wanted to help."_

* * *

 _The woman crawled through the forest quickly, and stopped. She noticed two men standing in front of the place which resembled one of those doors which she remembered from the Viking villages._

 _She looked up at Pipsqueak. "Alright, can you do something for me?"_

 _The little dragon nodded._

 _Flametorch whispered in his ear quickly._

 _Once she finished, the dragon flapped up and headed toward the two guards. At first, the two men hadn't noticed the bright orange dragon approach them. However, they didn't get the chance to sound any alarms or warnings before Pipsqueak had them thrown into the water._

 _Flametorch grinned._

 _The little dragon signaled her with his tail, and the young human grabbed her dagger. She ran for the door, and quietly entered in._

* * *

There was low sigh from the gigantic beast. " _As helpful as you were, you did disobey me. Now, I am not your caretaker, and since Heavenwings is no longer with us, you should have the right to approve of your own punishment. I keep order for the sake of all dragons. It is my duty, ever since I came of age. I will not have a single individual destroy this. Do you understand?"_

Astrid gulped. It was rare when Icespitter got angry, but he always spoke with such calmness. He was definitely annoyed with her. " _I understand."_

" _Good. I wish to speak with Dragon Master."_

The woman froze. " _Dr-Dragon Master?"_

" _Yes. The young human who came here, and whom is on his way here_ ," Icespitter stated. " _You are the bridge between the two worlds, and I wish to speak with him._ "

 _There he goes again, with the Soul of Dragon speech._ Astrid lifted her head up to face the dragon. " _My King, are you sure he is even the One?_ " she asked. " _He is part of the Vikings. He enslaves dragons_."

There was an unconvinced laugh from the dragon. " _The only thing I can sense wrong about him is the fact that he is missing a leg._ " He sighed. " _You must know that he is special. You sense it, do you not?"_

Yes, deep down. It didn't mean she had to agree with it. " _But why him?"_ she couldn't help but ask. " _He's just a boy who rides dragons."_

* * *

 _Flametorch crawled alongside the walls of the fort, as to not draw attention to herself. Each of the men were carrying axes and spears, but she hid. Whenever a man came too close, she created a steady kick to their heads, and knocked them out. In addition, she punched them hard._

 _The young human raised her hood over her head, and climbed up some stairs. The stairs lead to the top of the base, where a cage was held. She checked her guard and walked closer to it._

 _Inside were the three Snafflegangs. All three were asleep, but with Flame's vision, she could only see the bright yellow scales of one of them._

 _"Boomer! Flap!" the yellow Snafflegang whispered. "Flametorch's here!"_

 _Two blue and green Snafflegangs stood up, ad looked up at the young woman with adoring eyes. Flame raised her hand to her mouth to silence their squeals. They merely looked at her again with confusion._

 _She looked up and noticed a man was behind her. Quickly, she kicked him down. Scanning him quickly, she saw a large instrument on his buckle. She grabbed it and used it to bust the door open._

 _A rather loud roar echoed, and a plasma of ice immediately shot in the air._

 _Flametorch jumped on Boomer's back, and the three dragons took off._

* * *

" _Have you not heard the rumors the past five years?_ " He was now lying in the pool, supposedly tired of standing. " _He understands dragons in ways humans are not possible of._ "

 _What about me?_ Astrid thought to herself. _I understand dragons…._

" _An outsider, who understands dragons on a spiritual level_ ," Icespitter clarified, somehow knowing Astrid's thought. " _You are not him. You achieved the soul of a dragon; he was born with one._ "

The human tightened her fist. " _I see no difference. He is better in your eyes."_

" _No, Flametorch,"_ Icespitter insisted. " _You have a fire within yourself which burns hotter than any dragon. This is why you were chosen. The other elements of dragons…. he just has it_."

Astrid stood up, not wanting to hear another word.

Stormfly politely bowed to the King, and followed Astrid. The human was already climbing up a tree and she sat down on the flat part of the tree. Her little belongings, such as her weapon of choice and an old box, stayed hidden under the branches. She sat up there, where she could see beyond the horizon. Where the humans lived.

The dragon moaned sadly, as she sat at the base. But Flametorch didn't hear. All she could recall was the events that transpired merely a few moments ago. And for once, she did not want her sister to be around her.

It seemed as though Stormfly slowly caught on Astrid's intentions, so the Deadly Naddar crawled over to her children's nest and coughed up fish.

The maiden sighed, as the thought of the mysterious boy entered his mind. The one Icespitter called Dragon Master, the one whom rode the Night Fury. Was it true? Was he really a born soul?

 _He practically said I wasn't a dragon,_ Astrid thought to herself.

The thought of the enslaving monster left her mind, but an image of a powerful, better human with a dragon soul emerged. She sneered in anger. She hadn't felt this angry since she realized that she wasn't a dragon, but a little girl.

 _The young human who came here, and whom is on his way here_.

The realization hit her harder than a Speed Stinger's attack. " _Stormfly_!" she called out.

The Deadly Naddar glanced up from her children and ran over to the tree. Her maneuvers were quick, as she knew her adopted sister's antics by heart. The woman dropped down from the tree and landed on the dragon's back. Stormfly roared in success, and immediately flew off.

Astrid patted Stormfly's neck. " _Do you remember the Dragon Master's scent?"_

 _"I think so…"_ Stormfly said nervously. _"Why?"_

There was a small, but benevolent smile on the human's face. One that could scare even the toughest of men.

 _"We're going to have a little talk with him."_


	6. A Quest Full of Questions

_Alrightie, so this is the_ **actual Chapter 6!**

 _So… I found the USB, and my computer seems to be working now. :D_

 _I just wanted to say thank you for all of your responses. I would love to make you all happy and do all of this, and I will try my best to incorporate these for the future._

 _I've noticed that the best move would be to follow with options 1 and 4, from what most of you have argued for. Option 2 and 3… yea, I can't see Heather and Hiccup getting married (it goes against how Hiccup feels about the arrangement), and Astrid would never side with Drago (because he goes against what Astrid believes in). However, I really enjoyed Mark Andrew and Dragonfan47 's ideas. It seems to mash up both options 1 and 4 together, and I am trying to incorporate those points here.  
_

 _I hope you'll forgive me for the lost time, and hopefully this extra-long chapter will make up for it :)_

 _Don't forget to review and tell me what you think :D_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 6: A Quest Full of Questions  
_

"Hiccup, are we lost?"

"No, we are not lost."

"You said that an hour ago. We are _definitely_ lost."

"We are _not_ lost."

"Just admit it, Hiccup. We're lost."

"I _just_ said we aren't lost."

"Then how come we haven't seen anything _remotely_ close to a dragon nest?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, as he took out his map. "If we were lost, we would be out of the Archipelago. We're still in the perimeters of the area." He showed his sister the proximate are in which they were. "See? We are near the sanctuary."

Finna sighed. "No matter way you put it… we're still lost." Blizzard seemed to understand her, since she growled in an agreeing tone.

"Hiccup," Heather said, as she glided Windshear closer to Toothless. "Maybe we should stop for a moment. The dragons have been flying for hours, and we haven't found anything near close to this nest."

The thought of stopping troubled Hiccup. Especially since he knew where he first encountered the Valkyrie. It was near here, he was sure. The trees from below them on that distant island… the way the sun touched the clouds and changed their colours to orange. It was all familiar to him.

The man known as Eret seemed keen on sharing information about seeing the Valkyrie. And scared. "Was anyone else not convinced about this Eret fellow? It sounded like he needed dragons for something…"

Finna shrugged. "He's insane for sure. But I think he could take on the Valkyrie."

Heather laughed. "Did you refer to the dragon lady as the _Valkyrie_?"

"So what? It's growing on me." She flexed her arms. "Besides, I easily took down Snotlout, didn't I?"

Hiccup cringed. "But she-"

"Almost killed you twice, we _get_ it," Finna repeated, while Heather giggled. "No offense, bro, but _you_ could easily be taken down by this woman. You're not the strongest Viking on Berk."

Hiccup sighed. This wasn't the time to discuss with his sister about his lack of strength, _especially_ in front of Heather. "If you saw how crazy she was… you'd think twice about how you greet her." He patted Toothless. "Then again, she _was_ pretty concerned about her dragons."

" _Any_ feral dragon lady would be," Heather admitted. The siblings stared at her with bewilderment, so Heather elaborated: "If she's had little human interaction, her instincts would mimic that of dragons. What she eats… how she thinks… She's going off by instinct, like a dragon. And perhaps she attacked you because you were new and you looked like a threat-"

" _Hiccup_ , a _threat_?" Finna asked, trying not to laugh. "Maybe in your dreams."

Heather continued, ignoring Finna. "-I've heard people from other cultures talk about humans who were raised by wolves, and they were feral as well. Yet... they could never truly integrate back into human society. "

Hiccup sighed. Despite his better judgement, Heather _did_ have a point. Maybe the Valkyrie wasn't as dangerous as he thought. He wasn't the best in combat, after all. He could never beat Snotlout, or Finna for that matter, in a two-handed fight. Hiccup sighed again. _Perhaps she was only able to take me on because I'm a fishbone._

Hiccup was about to respond, but there was a strange noise from ahead.

It sounded like a shriek.

Hiccup grabbed onto Toothless' reins. He knew _that_ sound from anywhere. Having an island of that type of dragon helped him understand, and recognize, _that_ dragon shriek. He patted his dragon, to ease him. "Steady, bud," he whispered.

Heather and Finna looked at Hiccup, with fear evident on their faces.

"What is it?" Heather asked. "Do you think it's the Valkyrie?"

Hiccup didn't answer; he merely pointed above him.

There, flying ahead, was a Deadly Naddar.

It was striking similar to when he first encountered the Deadly Naddar. It stayed close to the clouds, and dared not to attack from behind its tail. It encircled around the group, over their heads, and spread its wings. It lowered down, and faced the three Dragon Riders. The dragon roared, and lifted its tail.

Hiccup knew this tactic, too. "Duck!" Hiccup shouted, moving Toothless.

Heather pulled Windshear away, while Blizzard roared and spun in the air. It was then that the Deadly Naddar's spikes retracted from its tail and were sent darting at their direction. Luckily, Hiccup's call caught them on guard, and they missed getting hit by sharp darts. The three dragons pulled back up, and faced the Deadly Naddar's direction.

It was then that Hiccup spotted the Valkyrie.

Just as she was when he first saw her, her face was covered with the mask that only revealed her bright blue eyes. However, this time, her hand held the infamous axe that he remembered almost getting killed from. On her back were arrows, hand crafted and sharp at the spikes from her dragon.

"Wait!" he shouted.

The Deadly Naddar stopped attacking, but it kept its distance from the small group of riders.

"We don't want any trouble!" he insisted, raising his hands up. Hiccup prayed, _prayed_ , to the gods that this woman would listen to him. "We only wish to speak to you. We have a few questions for you, Valkyrie."

The woman lowered her stance, but only slightly.

"Have you heard of moonstone before?" Heather asked, abruptly. "It also is called Augite, if you know what it is…"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you doing?" he asked.

Heather waved her hand, to keep Hiccup quiet. Hiccup immediately stopped, but looked at Heather with curiosity. _What_ is _she up to?_

Strangely enough... the woman nodded slowly.

This was enough to have Heather continue. "If it's alright, I wish to use a small amount. It's for my village. We're in desperate times right now, and the stones would help us." She bowed her head. "And my _family_."

The Valkyrie's stare, for a brief moment, softened. It might have been a trick of the sun, but it seemed as though the woman's eyes widened slightly. Something about the woman stirred, Hiccup noticed, when Heather mentioned _family_. He couldn't put his finger on it… but was it _pity_?

 _Perhaps she_ does _have a heart…_

There was a wave from the Valkyrie's hand, and she turned away. Her Deadly Naddar squawked in a fearful tone, but immediately stopped. The three Dragon Riders glanced at each other, and made a decision that would ultimately change their lives:

They followed the Valkyrie.

* * *

The flight was painfully quiet.

For hours, it seemed, the dragons were the only ones who made small noises. They would flap and caw, and even the Deadly Naddar seemed to try to look back (that is, before the Valkyrie forced its head away). It was extremely boring, and Finna almost fell asleep on top of Blizzard.

Hiccup couldn't help but stare at the strange creature that was flying the Deadly Naddar. The way she straddled her dragon… in a crouching position… _She's not trying to gain mastery over the dragon… she's blending_ with _the dragon._ When people from other islands came to Berk with their horses… some of them rode their horses close, as to maximize the speed with their beast. Hiccup nodded to himself. _No one rides a dragon like that…_

 _Except me._

"Where are we going?" Heather asked.

Hiccup turned his attention to her.

The way her hair blew in the wind… it was beautiful. Relaxed. Free. Like her soul. Hiccup found himself almost smiling ( _not_ smiling, thank you). The wild, yet elegant black hair was pulled back in a braid, but it still seemed to dance in the wind beside him. Yes, in its simplicity... it was beautiful.

Hiccup shook his head. _Stop!_ "Uh… I think we're heading for the nest."

"Are you sure?" she asked, unsure. Her voice was low and quiet, as though not to awaken a sleeping beast. _Pretty close to not wanting to wake a monster, too,_ Hiccup figured. "She could… you know… send us somewhere to… _die_."

 _Another possibility_ , Hiccup agreed. He took a deep breath, not wanting to breathe too heavily. Figuratively and literally. "I doubt it. She's outnumbered, and she'll want to take us out face to face."

"Yea, and _then_ what?" Finna asked, who suddenly flew closer to Heather and Hiccup (almost between them). "If she wants to take us on, she's going to be kissing my-"

"Finna, language!" Hiccup whispered.

" _Axe_ , I was going to say _axe_ ," Finna insisted, and rolled her eyes. "Gods, you have a dirty mind, brother. Besides, she can't take on three highly trained Vikings. Even _she_ would know that."

Hiccup didn't want to comment on the fact that his sister indirectly complimented him on his fighting skills (to which… he secretly _did_ care about), but she did have a point. The Valkyrie _would_ have been stupid to take on the three teens by herself. And where would she have taken them? The dragons from the sanctuary didn't seem agitated with Hiccup being there, so they _wouldn't_ have helped her.

 _...Right_?

Hiccup nodded. "Then we get on our dragons quickly if she tries to-"

"You Vikings are _extremely_ loud when you whisper."

The three green-eyed humans stared up at where the Deadly Naddar was, and saw the Valkyrie was glaring at them. Her body was sitting up against the back of her dragon, and her arms were crossed over her chest, and it didn't help that she was frowning at them.

Hiccup didn't flinch, but he could not help but fear for his life. "We… are just being cautious."

"I'm not going to kill you," she said, as though Hiccup said something offensive.

Finna rolled her eyes. "Right. I'll believe _that_ the day Snotlout's socks clear up."

"I don't break my promises," the Valkyrie insisted, interrupting Finna. "Only when it benefits _me_." She paused. "Since you three aren't threatening my family by looking for that _moonstone,_ I think I could easily show you where it is, without trouble. And despite your so-called training, it would be pointless if I summoned some dragons to help me." She locked eyes with Hiccup, threateningly. "Even _you_ , Dragon Master, wouldn't be able to control them."

With a blank stare, the Valkyrie stood back up and faced her dragon's direction. Her stance returned to its squatting position, completely blending with the dragon's scales. "We're coming in soon. If you touch a single dragon… you're all dead."

The comment caused all three of the Dragon Riders to cease their silence. Neither of them hesitated to dart their eyes down, as though they were being ridiculed by their mothers.

Finna glared at her brother. "Well, Fishbone… you sure picked a weird one."

Hiccup gulped this time. It wasn't at his sister's words, nor was it that he feared for his life. He had every right to fear for his life. Not only did the Valkyrie not trust him, there was no way in saying that she _wouldn't_ kill the trio. _Yea... she won't kill us now… but what about when we piss her off?_ Hiccup wondered.

But no. None of those scared him more than the Valkyrie's words repeating in his head:

 _Even_ you _, Dragon Master, wouldn't be able to control them._

* * *

The humans were strange, Astrid had to admit.

Despite their chatty nature, especially when they were discussing how to escape, they immediately became quiet. Then again... they only did so, once she threatened them. She sighed heavily. Were humans usually that scared when threatened? At least with dragons, we know when to keep our mouths shut.

And the ones with different hair colours, as well. The Red Haired girl, who rode upon the Woolly Howl, kept her hands close to both the dragon and her strange weapon attached to her hip (Flametorch recalled this weapon as a... hammer). Her green eyes never looked at Flame's directly, as though she was a threat. But there was the casual death stare when Flame tried to glance at Dragon Master (was it out of protectiveness? She couldn't tell).

The Raven Haired one wasn't any less threatened. Not only did she remain incredibly close in proximity to the Night Fury through her Razorwhip, her eyes were bright with curiosity. And... they were _familiar_. The look of determination and anger, which Flame recognized every few seconds when she glanced back at the new company, was seen before. But not from her.

The ride home was long for her. She knew the trouble she would be in, once she had the chance to speak with Icespitter. _He'd probably be mad... but he'll be happy to see Dragon Master._

* * *

 _"Stormfly!" nineteen year old Flame shouted._

 _The Deadly Nadder looked up from her sleep and yawned. "What is it?"_

 _"There are some dragons in a nearby village," Flame explained. "If we act now, we can rescue them."_

 _Stormfly grunted. "Flame, aren't you getting tired of this? You've been doing this for the past twelve winters. I think there are enough dragons here that are safe."_

 _Flame grabbed her axe. "Why, so you can go back to sleep?" She sighed. "Well, if you won't, then I'll find someone who will help me."_

 _"Suit yourself," Stormfly muttered, as she nestled back to her sleeping position._

 _The young human grunted. She only sad that, to make Stormfly jealous. Besides, no one would help her rescue those innocent dragons. Everyone thought she was crazy, especially since she did it behind the Bewilderbeast's back._

 _She thought for a moment._

 _A young Razorwhip walked up to her. "Flametorch, are you okay?"_

 _Flame shook her head. "Yea... I'm okay." She suddenly smiled. "Hey... you want to help me with something?"_

 _"Sure!" the Razorwhip said, with eager._

* * *

Flame shook her head. Why the Bewilderbeast wanted to see this man... she did not understand. This man, no a boy - was nothing how she imagined how a Dragon Master should appear. The man known as Eret, as terrible he was with capturing dragons... he could pass a better Dragon Master. Someone... who was the strongest of them all.

 _This boy doesn't seem to meet the criteria._

Stormfly squawked. " _Don't be upset, Flame. I'm sure Icespitter will do away with the humans."_

 _"I doubt it. This male... I think he's the Dragon Master he was speaking about,"_ Flame explained. " _Remember he said how he has the soul of a dragon?"_

Stormfly nodded. " _He may, but he hasn't lived with them as long as you have. You know better than anyone about dragons."_ The dragon purred. " _If it makes you feel better,"_ she said, " _I think you're a great dragon_."

Flame smiled, as she patted her sister's neck affectionately.

* * *

 _The dark sky was covered in fire._

 _Flame looked down, and spotted men in armor going through the small village. They carried axes and something that appeared to be thick pieces of wood in their thick hands. Their expressions were harsh and deadly. People ran in screams and fear as the men dragged the sticks, as Flame noticed held fire on top, over the town houses._

 _The fire ate at the houses, as they were made of wood, consuming them in their deadly red and yellow flames. The young human gulped, as innocent people ran crying and tried to escape the deadly enemy of the fire. Some civilians weren't as lucky, as they lit in colours._

 _Something stirred within Flame. Why would humans attack each other? Did they not protect each other? She tapped the Razorwhip's neck. "Do you see any dragons in danger?"_

 _The sharp dragon shook her head. "Maybe we should help the... She gulped. "...the humans."_

 _"Why?" Flame snapped. "They can defend themselves." She tried to ignore the small child who could not escape the sword of one of the men._

 _The Razorwhip snorted. With a quick movement, she changed her direction and dived into the village. The Razorwhip glanced down and roared._

 _"I am not going down there!" Flame hissed, pulling the dragon upward. "We came for the dragons, remember?"_

 _"They may die!" the dragon insisted._

 _Flame noticed the hint of desperation in the dragon's hiss. Or... more of a whimper. Flame wasn't entirely sure, but it sounded that the dragon wanted to help the humans. It wasn't like the dragons to want to aid the humans… but Flame couldn't help them, right?_

 _Flame sighed. "I'll find someone else." A Snafflefang grumbled beside them, and Flame hopped onto his back. She watched as the silver dragon dove down to the village._

 _The Snafflefang cooed under Flametorch. "I noticed Stormfly didn't go with you, so I followed you two."_

 _Flame smiled. "Thanks."_

* * *

Stormfly growled. " _I wish those dragons would quit talking."_

Flame shook her head, trying to forget that memory. It was the only time when... she tried to help a human. And she ended up losing one of her sisters to them. She hissed, silently, and only Stormfly heard her. It better not be for nothing, she huffed.

" _What are they saying?"_ Flame asked, with a low voice.

Stormfly nudged her head, which told Flame to listen and stop talking. As so, Flame ceased her questions and attuned her hear to the dragons whom flew behind her:

" _What's going to happen to us_?" the Night Fury asked.

The next set of growls must have come from the Woolly Howl: " _I think we're walking into a trap, blindfolded. There's no way this human's sparing any of us."_ Her growls were low and gruff, with the hint of boldness. Very common in Woolly Howls, Flame thought to herself.

" _We shouldn't anger her_ ," the Razorwhip insisted. " _I know she's kind-hearted. She saved Heather, after all."_

Flame's breathing stopped.

 _Heather..._

Why did that name sound familiar?

Flame shook her head. There was no way she helped anyone, especially a human. The only ones she helped were dragons. There was never a time when she pitied a human, and she wanted to keep it that way. _Well… there was that_ one _time._

 _Perhaps the Razorwhip is bluffing..._

But it made her think, nevertheless.

" _Didn't you save her?"_ the Night Fury asked, confused.

"Technically, no," the Razorwhip admitted, " _but she looked like she was in trouble. Flametorch insisted that we leave them, but I couldn't. I had to help them somehow."_

 _"Flametorch?"_ the Night Fury asked, with a chuckle. "I have never heard a human with a dragon's name."

" _She's a dragon, can you not tell?"_ the Razorwhip asked. The two other dragons stopped talking. _"See? She understands our words, and she's lived with our kind for many winters."_

Flame shook her head again. _Now_ she knew why the dragon looked familiar... it had been strange that she never saw the Razorwhip since the cold winter. _So... she'd been with this human the entire time._ Which wasn't uncommon… at least, if the dragon had been with another herd. Yet… the dragon was with more _humans_ the entire time.

 _More slavers_ , she thought bitterly.

Astrid glanced down, and noticed Terrible Terrors starting to hiss at them. Farther below were birds of various species, flying and following their instincts to fresh land and water. There was only one place Flametorch knew where such a place existed, and away from the preying eyes of the King. _Good..._ They were close to it now, she could feel it.

"I... hate to be a downer... but this isn't the nest," the Dragon Master said.

Flame rotated her body once again, to face the dim-witted male. "I promised to show you where the rock laid. And I am _keeping_ that promise."

* * *

 _It was at that moment when Stormfly returned. The human girl gratefully jumped off the Snafflefang's back and hid behind her sister, and embracing her with much delight. Yet, she kept herself posed, not wanting to show her sensitive side._

 _"Did you help the dragons?" Stormfly asked._

 _Flame shook her head. "I guess it wasn't meant to be." She patted her sister affectionately. "Besides, I think the Razorwhip has a new home now. She's gone to help the humans."_

 _There was a surprising curl of hisses from the Deadly Naddar. "Why would she?"_

 _Flame looked down, as the men took over the villages. There were now growing bodies of stilled humans, and it was beginning to look fearsome from her perspective. Even from the skies, she could already tell that the bodies were staring up at her with blank expressions. It was truly a gruesome sighed, but Flame didn't look away._

 _The man, who had lead the attacks, held a torch high over his head, shouting words of praise to his followers. The other Vikings hollered repeated cheers to him, and stomped amongst the bodies in the streets. Words were spoken, but Flame didn't listen._

 _She refused to._

 _However, there was another sight that was surprising: she saw the Razorwhip with a girl. Or…a female human. Flame couldn't tell much about the female, but she definitely noticed that the Razorwhip was allowing the human to ride her back, along with an older-looking male Viking._

 _"I cannot tell," Flame admitted, with a sad tone. "Humans are a strange species, indeed."_

* * *

The island was soon near, and Stormfly circled the island to land.

There were many trees on the island, similar to the nest's island. The rather… big difference was the large catacomb of ice that surrounded the island's atmosphere for protection. Here… Flame felt secluded. Which was why she never came here often. But... it was here escape, when she didn't want to face the King.

Stormfly landed, where an apparent cave was. It was filled with dark minerals, hidden within the trees. It was hard to miss; from what Flame remembered coming here, there were stones that glowed bright in the night, by the light of the moon. _Hmm… perhaps that is why it's called moonstone_ , she mused.

Flametorch jumped off Stormfly, attached the axe to her saddle, and walked over to the small cave. The rocks stood out of the cave slightly, spitting out in sharp crystals. The stones weren't shining at all, due to the midday lighting. _Why would humans need moonstone to save their family?_ She wondered.

She turned back around, and saw the three humans jump off their dragons. The two females immediately gasped at the sight of the cave, and made strange giggles at the apparent beauty of the stones.

"Whoa! This is _amazing!"_ the raven-haired girl exclaimed, as she walked over to the stones. The red-haired one followed in pursuit.

Flame jerked away from the two charging girls, with caution. Despite the many hours of flying, how could these humans have energy? She remembered her first time, to when she first flew on Stormfly's back, and recalled feeling… as though her stomach was going to drop. _Unless… these humans have learned to tolerate the after effect of flying._

She glanced at the man's direction, with her hands crossed over her chest.

Already, she could tell that he wasn't trying any tricks on him. He had taken his strange firesword, and placed it on the ground. The dragon, knowing that his master was in no danger, left to play with the two remaining dragons. Now… the man was exposed, and had no reason to attack.

Astrid walked closer, so that she was in hearing distance to the boy.

"Now... you're going to answer some of _my_ questions, Dragon Master."


	7. Disagreements and Reminescence

_Hey, guys. I apologize for the late update again. I've hit some terrible writer's block, but I seemed to have gotten through it.  
_

 _Also, there is mild language her, so I'm hiking up the ratings._

 _I really like this chapter, and I hope you guys too :)_

 _See you soon :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 7: Disagreements and Reminiscence_

There were three moments were Hiccup could count when he was deadly afraid.

The first one… was when he first came in contact with Toothless. At a time where he would have easily killed a dragon to gain the acceptance from his father that he could never receive. Even for him… it was a dark time. He was ridiculed by children his age, his sister proved to be a better Viking than he was… and his father disapproved him.

He recalled that fateful moment. The moment when he saw into the Night Fury's eyes… and did not see a monster. Rather… he saw an animal, with a human soul. He saw… fear. A fear which Hiccup was known to feel. He felt afraid, trying to kill a dragon. And… the dragon knew it. He knew it. He saw himself.

The second time… was when his father disowned him. He had never seen his father so… angry in the fifteen years he had been on Midgard. The look of utter disappointment… no, it was more than that. It was like… he didn't recognize Hiccup. That his son had done the unthinkable, and threw away all traditions of the Viking way – for a devil.

Hiccup still had nightmares of his father's words: " _You're not a Viking. You're not my son."_ He still feared that, in some time in the future, Stoick the Vast could easily disown him again. What would his father say, if he saw Hiccup interacting with an insane dragon woman? Would this count as terrible as befriending a dragon?

The third… was when he was only three years old.

He remembered how terrible the fires were. The houses on the small island burned in magnificent, but deadly, colours of red and yellows and oranges. For a small three year old, it was scary. But he felt complexed, as he watched his father kill one of the most gruesome creatures known at the time: the Monstrous Nightmare.

Watching his father kill that dragon… it told Hiccup an important lesson, one that he kept with him until he started to train Toothless: _Vikings have the strength to kill dragons._ It was something he tried to mimic for the next twelve years, and failed to notice how wrong he was. He spent those twelve years trying to impress his father, trying to show that he _was_ a dragon killer. He _was_ the son Stoick wanted.

Yet… those moments weren't _nearly_ as scary as this moment:

Being interrogated by the Valkyrie.

* * *

 _"Momma! Watch me!" Hiccup said._

 _Valka smiled as she watched her three year old son play with a small dragon toy. Hiccup, barely the size of his father's hammer, held the toy high in his hand. He yelled as loud as he could, using the strong muscles he was always told he had to mimic the sound of a roaring dragon. If he was to be a dragon killer one day, he should roar like one to scare it, right?_

 _He giggled as he ran around the small yard, drawing his dragon high as he could reach to the night sky. The stars looked down on him with shiny sparkles, and the moon was a full circle, beaming bright enough to light the entire island of Berk. But three year old Hiccup didn't care: all he wanted to do was to show his mother how brave he was to be a dragon._

 _"I'm gonna protect you from the dragons, Momma!" he shouted. He threw the dragon down, and took out the small wooden sword wrapped along his waist. He pointed the sword at the dragon, with both hands on the handle, just like Daddy taught him._

 _Valka stood up and picked up Hiccup, as she released a small laugh. "Watch out, because I'm a big scary dragon!" Her laughs took over as she tickled her son._

 _Hiccup squealed. "No, Momma! I'm a dragon killer!" he protested through his giggles._

 _…._

"Uh… what kind of questions?" Hiccup asked, stupidly.

The Valkyrie stepped closer to him, with each inching step that caused his heart to beat a hundred times faster than the previous beat. He could feel the sweat from his head drip down his neck. He only prayed that there was no sweat on his brow.

"Considering I told you that you shouldn't return to the nest," the Valkyrie noted, with glaring eyes, "you were stupid enough to come meet here, anyway. Why?"

Why? _That_ was a good question, despite its simplicity. For a moment, Hiccup wasn't sure how to answer. _Why_ did he want to return to the nest? Despite the warnings she gave him from their first encounter, he still felt… a connection to the nest. Like… he was meant to _be_ there, but he wasn't at the same time.

Hiccup shrugged. "Maybe… I wanted to see the nest." He smirked. "I didn't get a good look at it last time, you know, after getting attacked and all."

"And you treat it as a joke," the Valkyrie hissed.

"It's called sarcasm," Hiccup explained, but he noticed how much his tone indicated that he was using sarcasm while trying to explain his sarcasm. _Weird._ "You know… when you mean the opposite of what you say."

The Valkyrie tilted her head. "You mean… like _lying_?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No... it's more like… a bitter remark, but with irony."

"Irony?" she asked. "What's-" she shook her head. "Never mind."

Hiccup held the urge to roll his eyes. "Are you done with your questions, Valkyrie?" he taunted.

* * *

 _A little girl giggled, as she watched Hiccup get tickled by his mother. "Can I play, Mrs. Valka?" she asked._

 _Hiccup pushed down, and ran over to the little girl. "Astie!" he shouted. "You wanna play dragon killer with me?"_

 _The girl nodded her head frantically, her small golden braids bouncing with her agreement. Hiccup didn't quite notice, but her blue eyes sparkled with excitement. "Sure, Hic!" she said. She pushed Hiccup down, and picked up the wooden sword. "Come and get me, dragon!"_

 _Hiccup laughed, as he stood up. "No fair! You were the killer last time!"_

 _"But you make an awesome dragon," Astie insisted._

 _Hiccup laughed again, and held his hands up in the air, mimicking the claws of a dragon. "Grr! I'm a Deadly Naddar! I'm gonna kill you!"_

 _Astie giggled. "No, evil dragon! Go away!" She swung the wooden sword aimlessly, gaining up on Hiccup._

* * *

There was a flash of anger in her eyes again, but it wasn't as prominent as before. It showed more… curiosity. "No. What is a Valkyrie?" she asked.

"Oh…." Hiccup shrugged again. "It's… sort of a nickname I gave you… since I didn't know what your name is."

The Valkyrie nodded slowly. "What does it mean?"

"Well…" he sighed. _She probably has no recollection of Viking religion, does she?_ "On Berk… and – well – all across the Archipelago, we have gods and goddesses. Theses Valkyries… they determine who goes to Valhalla or not. They're-" he blushed, "-supposed to be the most beautiful creatures on Asgard."

The woman, whose muscles were tense, now seemed to relax. But only slightly. "What is this… Asgard?"

"It's… a place where the gods and goddesses live," Hiccup explained. "You know… like Thor, Loki, Odin, Freyja, Sif…"

The Valkyrie stepped closer to him. "I… I've heard of these names before…."

 _Finally, I don't have to explain so much to her._ "Oh, well that's good," he admitted. He hesitated, as he watched for her to ask another question. However, she merely stared at him curiously, and inched closer to him. _From when we met…_

"C-can I ask you something?" he asked, gulping nervously.

She nodded.

"What's your-"

"Fishbone! Look at all this moonstone!" Finna shouted.

The Valkyrie jerked her head away, and made a stance at the running Finna. There was a loud growl, almost like a battle cry – a roar – from the Valkyrie, and the next moment –

Hiccup found Finna on the ground.

The young man ran to the two women, as they fought on the ground. The Valkyrie was on top of Finna, and she was – supposedly – scratching at her. Finna held her ground and blocked most of the feral woman's attacked, but barely.

"Get off me, you crazy bitch!" Finna shouted, as she kicked the feral woman in the stomach.

Hiccup ran over and blocked the two women from attacking each other. "Stop it, you two!" he shouted, holding his hands out to both of them. He looked at the feral woman. "She wasn't trying to attack you, I swear!"

" _Really_?" the woman asked, sounding insulted, "Then why did she _charge_ at us?!"

Finna gaped. " _Charge_? Oh, you think that was charging?!" she stood up and rolled her sleeves up. "I'll show _you_ what charging is-"

Hiccup pushed Finna aside, as Heather held her back. "Fin, calm _down_! She thought you were attacking us, _okay_?!"

"What, you're defending her now?!" Finna accused. "Listen here, slowpoke: I'm this close to walloping this potlicker to Hel, and if _you_ think you can _stop_ me-!"

The Valkyrie hissed, causing Finna to shut up.

Hiccup groaned. "See? _This_ is why I can never take you anywhere, Fin." He whistled. "Blizzard, come here, girl!"

Blizzard's head jolted up, and she ran over to Hiccup. Her tongue hung low as she covered Hiccup with quick licks. Hiccup grabbed her reins, and pulled the dragon over to Finna.

"Oh, what? You're sending me _home_?" Finna asked. " _Real_ mature, Hiccup Horrendous."

Heather nodded. "Finna, your brother's right. You need to go back to Berk."

Finna glared at her brother, with loathing that he was used to from her. "Fine." She pushed away from Heather's hands, and jumped on Blizzard's back. "But you better kick this woman's-"

"Finnawen Valhallarama," Hiccup warned.

The auburn-haired girl sighed, and she patted Blizzard's head. "I'm going, I'm going." She looked at Heather. "It was nice hanging out with you." When Heather smiled back, Finna glanced at the Valkyrie with a glare that could kill even Thor himself. "Go fuck yourself. _"_

Hiccup groaned, slapping himself in the face. _I_ really _need to teach her some manners._

With a quick slap at the reins, Finna and her dragon took off. Hiccup watched as his sister's dragon disappeared into the clouds and out of sight.

"I hope she knows how to get back to Berk," Heather admitted. "I know she's good with a weapon… but can she navigate?"

Hiccup chuckled. "Blizzard's a smart dragon. A little aggressive, but she's smart." He smiled. "Then again…. was I describing the dragon or my sister?"

It was moments before anyone spoke, or even moved. The tension between the three humans was… unnerving. Hiccup found himself pacing his arms between the two women, and both looked as though they were both awkward. Even the Valkyrie, whom Hiccup _still_ didn't know her true name – if she had one – was staring at him and Heather with strange tensions. _What goes on in her head?_ He wondered, curiously.

* * *

 _There was a roar._

 _Hiccup looked up at the sky, and saw something both spectacular and frightening, especially for a three-year-old:_

 _Dragons._

 _His first thought was to run to his mother. His petite mother, compared to the size of his father, who would always protect him. His instincts pulled him to her warm embrace, to the softness of her fur clothes and tethered long hair, and the gentle touch of her fingers. He desperately wanted to be in his mother's embrace, and hide from the real monsters he spent merely minutes ago fighting against._

 _But he did not run to her._

 _He stood up, and walked through the crowd of running Viking. The adults picked up their small children, holding them close to their chests. The free adults picked up weapons and readied the heavier catapults. Hiccup ran under their fast feet, ignored by their lust for dragon blood._

 _He was both grateful and scared._

 _Soon, he was away from the houses and Vikings, which the homes that stood for seven generations began to set aflame. They sky, soon, was no longer the dark black with twinkling stars and the protective moon: it was lit by yellow and orange flames._

 _"Hicc! What're you doing?" a voice, belonging to Astie, asked._

 _He turned around, and saw the blonde girl with him. "Astie, what are you doing here?"_

 _"You gotta go back home!" she insisted. "I'm here to save you!"_

 _Hiccup pointed to the dragons to the sky. "But… I can meet a dragon here!" he insisted. "Then I can kill one, just like Daddy!"_

 _Astie was about to say something, but then she screamed. Hiccup turned his head and also hollered at the sight before him._

 _A Deadly Naddar._

* * *

Heather coughed. "Um… I don't know if you remember me… but you saved me not too long ago."

There was a scoff from the Valkyrie, as though Heather said something insulting. "I have never saved a human before." She walked up to Heather and stared at her. _Too_ closely, perhaps. "Why would you accuse me of such a thing?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes again, and stepped in front of Heather. "Okay, you need to calm down, woman. She thought you _gave_ her a dragon-"

"-who helped my father and I escape our island," Heather explained. She looked at Hiccup. "Thank you, but I can handle my own. Now-" she faced the Valkyrie. "Do you remember… not too long ago, if you ever had a… Razorwhip?"

The Valkyrie stayed silent once again. Her eyes burned with the similar fire which Hiccup was used to seeing, and it overshined her sapphire eyes, but only slightly. The wildness in her eyes… it reminded Hiccup of the feral nature of the Valkyrie. If Heather was correct about feral humans, this woman would _definitely_ react the way a dragon would –

-on instinct.

 _I only hope she won't try to attack Heather…_ Hiccup thought.

"Yea…" the Valkyrie trailed off. "She… looks similar to yours."

It seemed as though Windshear understood the Valkyrie, because the Razorwhip was soon running to Heather. At first, her stance was down and she stood in front of Heather. A low growl, and she hissed at the Valkyrie. Heather immediately hid behind Windshear and placed her hands on the dragon.

However, the next second passed, and the Razorwhip ran over to the Valkyrie and licked her face.

Hiccup watched in confusion and curiosity. "Uh… what just happened?"

The Valkyrie didn't seem to hear Hiccup, as she began to make hissing noises. To him… they sounded like dragon noises. Both Windshear and the Valkyrie rubbed heads and danced around each other, like children whom were separated from each other. Hiccup recognized the ritual… Toothless did this sort of thing with Blizzard and Cloudjumper.

 _Wait… she's_ communicating _with Windshear!_

"Heather…." Hiccup whispered. The raven haired girl inched closer to Hiccup. "I think this Valkyrie learned more than dragon instinct… I think she learned how to speak Dragonese."

Heather gaped. "That explains so much. Remember when we first saw her and she started to hiss at us? Maybe she was sending us a warning."

"Possibly," Hiccup agreed, keeping his voice low. "And did you notice how she seemed to _talk_ to her Deadly Naddar?" Heather nodded. "She must have been speaking Dragonese then, too!"

Heather smiled, as she watched Windshear lick the Valkyrie's face. "If we could speak to her… who knows how much dragon secrets she could teach us!" She looked back at Hiccup. "Do you know what this means?"

For a split second, Hiccup did. "Yea… it means there's someone who's like me."

* * *

" _And we went to Berk to meet with the Alphas,"_ Windshear explained.

Flametorch nodded, but she felt uneasy with the two humans staring and whispering from afar. " _I'm still surprised you allowed the girl to name you."_

The Razorwhip nodded, but she smiled, showing her teeth. " _It took some time, but the name suites me, don't you think?"_

" _Yes…"_ Flame trailed off. " _But are you coming home? Everyone misses you, you know."_

Well… that wasn't a _total_ lie. The fact was… not many dragons noticed that one of the Razorwhips disappeared. In the nest, at least. Sure… some dragons assumed that a Razorwhip was killed during a raid, but they soon forgot. _One of the unforgiving things about dragons,_ Astrid admitted to herself.

She looked at the Razorwhip, hoping to hear a confession of shame from her. Flame hoped – _hoped_ – that Windshear would forget the human and return to the nest, where she was safer. _And at home._ And yet… as the minutes passed… she only saw a spark of something in the dragon's eyes.

" _I can't leave Heather,"_ the dragon said, with a moan. " _She's my sister."_

Flametorch rolled her eyes. " _You say that now, but what about years from now, when she's decided that she's a Viking and wants to kill dragons? Then will she be your sister?"_ She shook her head. " _She's your master, have you not realized this?"_

 _"No, she isn't my master,"_ Windshear insisted. " _She's never once hurt me, nor does she command me."_ The dragon glanced back at the raven haired girl. " _I can't exactly explain it... but she and I don't command each other. Rather… we work together. It's as though we share the same thoughts."_

Flame stayed quiet, which was strange (even for her). How was she supposed to answer? It wasn't like Flame could argue: she _knew_ how Windshear felt. She felt that same feeling… every time she rode with Stormfly. It was… as the Razorwhip said… _sharing the same thoughts._

 _If this Razorwhip felt like this… who is it to say that the Dragon Master does, too?_

Flame stood up.

Windshear glanced at her with curiosity. " _What are you doing?"_

 _"Your human friends…"_ Flame pointed to the Vikings, who were talking to each other, " _They need to leave."_

 _"Why?"_ Windshear stood up. " _They haven't done anything to you! You asked them questions, and they answered!"_ The Razorwhip jumped and blocked Flame's path. " _Flametorch, you know I would never hurt you, but if you harm my sister in any way-"_

Flame scoffed. " _I won't hurt her."_ She frowned. " _Aren't I your sister?"_

 _"Yes…"_ Windshear nodded, " _but Heather needs me. She has no one in her family. Every day, she tells me how alone she feels in the world, and that I am the only one who truly understands her."_

Astrid was about to interject, but something about the dragon's tale caught her off-guard. " _Alone? Did you not save her and her father from the Viking attacks?"_

 _"That man… adopted her,"_ Windshear revealed, " _He isn't her real father. Heather suspects her real father is out there, somewhere. But she's forced to mate with Hiccup to unite the two tribes – whatever that means."_

 _"Mate?"_ Astrid asked. " _But… who's Hiccup?"_

The Razorwhip merely pointed her head toward Dragon Master.

Astrid raised an eyebrow, which he realized she did a lot now. Ever since she heard about the Dragon Master, she had expected something different from him. Firstly… she never imagined a man who claimed to control dragons was _really_ a scrawny, thin boy. A man who could control dragons should have the strength of a dragon, as well. _Then again…_ I'm _not that strong-looking._

But why did the name sound familiar?

She patted Windshear's shoulder, to which the dragon understood the notion. Astrid watched as the Razorwhip left her and joined her current rider. And she watched the dragon with pain in her chest, as though she lost a part of her soul. She couldn't bear to watch as the human girl with raven hair give the dragon false affection and playing with the poor dragon's heart.

"I suggest you leave," she said, finally.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Again? But there are so many things I need to ask you."

"I don't care." Flame hissed, baring her sharpened teeth. "You will leave, and you will do it promptly."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Okay, then. But don't come knocking at my door with any more questions." He created a whistling noise with his fingers, and the Night Fury left Stormfly. The dragon immediately cooed against Hiccup, and the scrawny human jumped on his back. The raven haired girl did the same on Windshear.

Without another word, the two dragons took off, leaving Flame and Stormfly alone.

The Deadly Naddar scoffed, as she sat down beside where Flame stood. " _I don't understand what you have against this Dragon Master. From what Toothless has told me about him… he doesn't seem like a terrible man."_

Flame didn't move, as her eyes were up to the empty sky where the two dragons disappeared.

* * *

 _She remembered something… of a time long ago._

 _She remembered the fires that burned around her. The sky which was night, but lit up as bright as day, but without the promise of a blue sky morning. In fact, there was the moon, watching everything burn hotter than the hottest summer's day. She could only remember how she couldn't breathe, and the smoke of the fire burned her throat._

 _There was a boy there._

 _And a dragon._

 _The dragon, with bright scales and two enormous legs, sneered at the sight of the boy. Her mouth opened, and released a roar from her mouth, as the boy stood there in total shock. He couldn't move. He was paralyzed._

 _All she could remember was the burning feeling of stopping the dragon from hurting the boy. She, for some reason, needed to protect him. She just had to!_

 _Bravely, she picked up the gimpy wooden weapon, and ran to the boy. With all the anger wrapped inside her, she stood in front of the boy and screamed at the dragon._

 _The dragon stopped._

 _"Leave Hiccie alone!" she shouted. But they were not her words. They were the words of a human child who learned little Viking Speak. "Get away, you monster!"_

 _It was the last coherent thought she could remember. After that… everything was a blur. She soon found herself on the back of the dragon, lifting to the black sky. She felt the air twist at her face, pushing against it. The dragon's scales were cold to her, but the burning still hurt. Her screams were only of one word, but they sung out into the night._

 _"Hiccup!"_

 _And there was only one response:_

 _"Astrid!"_

* * *

" _Perhaps you should give him a chance,"_ Stormfly insisted. Flametorch sat down on the prickly grass, and stroked the dragon's scales gently. " _Maybe… if he showed you that he wasn't a threat, then you might understand him better."_

 _"Understand him?"_ Astrid asked. " _I don't want to understand him. I want him to not be snooping around for the nest. If he got any further than when we stopped him…"_

 _"What?"_ Stormfly asked.

Astrid stayed silent. For the first time that day… she was speechless. And she couldn't answer Stormfly with an honest thought. _Would he have hurt the dragons, if we didn't stop him?_ Astrid wondered. She patted the dragon's scales again. _He was playing with Stormfly's hatchlings… and he didn't seem to control them, either._

The thought of the dragons from her previous raid had her thinking. The man with the strange tattoo… mentioning a man who would " _tan the man's ass for not having enough dragons"_ named Eret… and the fear they had for this secret _boss._

" _I don't know,"_ Astrid admitted. " _But I think I made a terrible mistake."_

 _"How?"_ Stormfly asked.

" _I need to find out if this Hiccup, Dragon Master, is in any relation to Drago Bludvist,"_ Astrid admitted. " _Because if he isn't with Drago… then we'll need an ally if this comes to war."_

* * *

 _So... Finna's a trashy mouth? XD_

 _Man, this writer's block was tough to get through. It was like... I wanted to get right to the part where Hiccup and Astrid talk alone, but this chapter was getting in the way. But, here it is. I just hope you guys are alright with some more "Astrid still doesn't trust Hiccup" moments._

 _Anyway, see you soon! And don't forget to review and tell me what you think :)_


	8. The Fear for a Single Man

_So… this is what happens when you are on a writing frenzy and listen to Really Slow Motion: I finish another chapter within two days after updating XD_

 _(If you don't know who Really Slow Motion is… they are a hybrid instrumental music group whose music's used in trailers such as Pan, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, and Captain America: the Winter Soldier. I believe the songs that are used in the trailers are: Sun and Stars, Mercury Rises, and Gender, and they are f**king amazing!)_

 _This chapter isn't focused purely on Hiccup and Astrid, as the other chapters have bee. However, I wanted to show more on the OC I made for this story: Finna Haddock._

 _For some reason, I really like Finna. At first, I only created her because 1) if I ever write a prequel to this story, I need someone to fill the "Astrid" role, so Finna was created, and 2) I saw Valka and Stoick having at least one more child after Hiccup, if they ever had the chance._

 _Now… I'm completely in love with her. She's the first OC I've made for HTTYD (aside from Kari in A Father's Love… although, come to think of it... they both are quite similar). And… I might have gotten inspiration from Dragonbow117 to ship Eret and Finna… Thanks a lot :P)_

 _(Dragonbow, if you're reading this… I do not blame you… I really like this ship for some reason, too XD)_

 _Alright, enough talk. Here's the next chapter :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter Eight: The Fear for a Single Man_

Finna didn't expect to get lost.

Sure… she didn't have the navigational gift as her father, or the instincts of her brother and mother, but she still could hold her ground. Well… as long as it didn't involve trying to navigate through the tundra known as the Barbaric Archipelago. Finna shivered, as the winds blew against her face. _I'm just happy Hiccup's not here to gloat._

She glanced to both ends of her dragon. Nope. Nothing. Only frozen wastelands of huge icebergs, and nothing else. Oh, there were some glaciers – _wait, glaciers are literally another word for icebergs!_ – and the odd Woolly Howl that begged Blizzard to come and join in their fun.

"C'mon, girl. I thought you were supposed to be the navigator here," Finna moaned.

The Woolly Howl merely groaned.

Finna shook her head. There was no use in talking to the dragon – she never came close to learning that dragon-dung language, unlike her brother. She groaned to herself. _Hiccup this, Hiccup that; it's always about Hiccup now, isn't it?_ Ever since the War ended, it seemed though that she couldn't keep up with anyone. Even the twins knew a lot about their dragon, a Hideous Zippleback, than she knew about hers.

Especially this new female, the Valkyrie, knew about each species of dragons (probably). She could easily tame a Deadly Naddar, and those dragons were hard to train, because of their pride. If some random Valkyrie could train a dragon, what did that mean for _Finna?_

It made her feel –

 _No._ Finna shook her head. A _Haddock does not feel sorry for herself,_ Finna reminded herself. She was the daughter of Stoick the Vast and Valka the Gentle: stubbornness was practically in her blood! Not to mention the thousands of years' worth of Haddock stubbornness that came with it. She raised her head. _I'm not going to allow some crazy-ass Valkyrie make me think otherwise._

"You know what, Bliz?" Finna asked. The dragon grunted, which Finna understood as permission to continue. "I give myself good pep talks. And why shouldn't I? I have the best dragon in the world-" she stroke the dragon's head affectionately, "the best teachers, the best parents, and yes - the best brother."

Blizzard cooed, as to say, " _Best dragon, more importantly, right?"_

"Yes, Blizzard. You're my favourite dragon," Finna confirmed, with a smile on her face. She looked around herself again. "I would appreciate it if we could find ourselves back to Berk, though." She stayed silent. "Or… we wait until Hiccup and Heather finish talking with the Valkyrie, because she may kick them off the island for Hiccup annoying her."

 _That_ would _be hilarious,_ she admitted to herself.

With a quick tug at the reins, Finna guided Blizzard to the closest glacier and set up a small seat for herself. She also took out some wood from the dragon's saddle pouch. Blizzard blew a quick flame on the fire, and bounded for the water to catch fish. Soon, rider and dragon had enough fish to satisfy them for the rest of the day.

Finna looked up at the sky, as she took a bite of her second fish. "Geeze, it's gonna be dark soon," she mused. And she was correct: the sky was turning pick, with the sun stretching its colours over the fading blue sky. "And shouldn't those nerds be here?"

Blizzard slurped on her fish noisily, and grunted with uncertainty.

"Come on, Bliz. They might have gotten home already," Finna insisted, pulling on the dragon's wings. Blizzard groaned lazily as Finna shoved snow over the small fire and hopped on the dragon's back.

* * *

They didn't leave very far when they heard a familiar voice:

"Dragon! Get it, lads!"

Finna pulled Blizzard's reins quickly, and looked down. Below her, in the water, were the men that were trying to capture them. Finna groaned, as a net missed her and Blizzard. _Great. It's that Eret son of Eret guy._

"What's the big idea?!" Finna shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Did your mother ever teach you to never hit a woman?!"

The tattooed man looked up at them with a distasteful smile. "Oi, so you're here without your little Night Fury rider?" he sneered. "I would have thought you didn't have the guts to make it out here alone."

Finna frowned. "Those are some big words coming from a gutless dragon trapper, Erect-"

"It's Eret!" the man corrected. "And there's no way you're getting away from us again, little girl!" The men on the ship all grunted in agreement.

"So there's…" Finna pointed to each of the men one by one "… ten of you and only one of me?" Finna asked. "Oh, what's a poor girl to _do_?" her voice went a little high, as though she was sounding worried.

Then, she smirked. "Wait. I know _exactly_ what to do. Blizzard: snowball!"

Before the men could react, Blizzard fired up a huge ice ball from her mouth and shot it at the ship. Finna pulled the reins sideways, missing another net heading her way. However, the dragon's fireball hit the side of the ship, covering the men in snow.

Finna couldn't help but laugh as she watched Eret try to pull his men out of the pile. _Gods, he has to be the most clueless man I have ever met._ Blizzard seemed to chuckle as well, releasing a low murmur with a smile. Finna guided the dragon closer to the ship, and the two friends watched as Eret literally dug out Teeny.

"So much for being macho men," Finna taunted, with a grin.

Eret directed his attention to her, and frowned. "You-" he stepped closer to her, but missed a piece of ice and slipped –"Gods, get this snow off my ship!"

Finna held her sides. Gods, she hadn't laughed this hard since she found Snotlout in a ten foot hole not ten miles away from Berk. "For being professional trappers, I would have expected a bit more… professionalism."

Eret pulled his sword out and got closer to Finna. "Listen here, little girl. I want you and your sniveling pet gone from here. Even if Drago doesn't have your dragon, at least you're as good as dead in this wilderness."

" _Dead_?" Finna repeated. She straightened herself up. "You listen, Eret son of Eret. If you knew _anything_ about dragons, it's that they can hunt for fish and provide heat. If anyone's as good as dead out here, it's you." She folded her arms. "I guess you know nothing, then, Eret son of Eret."

The tattooed man pinched his mouth together. "I'd cut your heart out right here if I didn't value a girl's life more that her tongue." He smirked. "Or better yet… how about I cut out your tongue to silence your stupid mouth once and for all?"

"Gladly," Finna smirked. "Just… tell me who this Drago man is, and I'll leave you be."

Teeny stood up, finally, and was joined by the other men. "Uh… Eret? I don't think we should tell her where Drago is, or he might kill us."

"I wasn't going to tell her," Eret turned his head to face Teeny. He glanced back at Finna. "Why do you want to know about Drago?" he asked, suspiciously.

Finna shrugged. "Well… he seems like he wants my dragon for some reason." She leaned in closer, so that her face was barely a foot away from Eret's. "And… any man that can catch a dragon must be in high favours for this man, eh?"

Eret raised an eyebrow. "What game are you playing, little girl?"

"Okay, first of all: I'm seventeen, I'm old enough to be your wife," Finna stated. "Second, I am not playing any games. If this Drago guy wants my dragon… then I need a reference to go by when I give him Blizzard, right?" she asked.

The man stayed silent, for a few moments. It seemed that Finna might have stumped him, at least for the time being. Finna probably should have felt bad for stumping him, but the look of utter stupidity was a joy for her, and she loved seeing him struggle to understand the simplest plan. _Like trying to explain a brothel to a holy man,_ Finna thought.

"Drago Bludvist doesn't take orders from anyone," Eret finally said. "In fact, he squishes orders under his boot, then kills anyone who tries to order him around." With a quick swipe, he grabbed Finna's arm. "You'd be killed on sight for such an order."

Blizzard immediately snapped her teeth at Eret.

"Careful, Blizzard hates it when someone touches me," Finna warned.

Eret seemed to have gotten the message, since he started to back away. Finna took this opportunity to guide Blizzard to the decks of the ship.

"You know, if you had your own dragon, it'll be a more pleasant experience," Finna explained. She patted Blizzard. "I know my brother is not much to look at, but he taught us that dragons are not just salvages." Blizzard nuzzled against Finna. "Once you gain a dragon's loyalty, there is nothing she wouldn't do for you."

Eret glanced squarely at Finna. "You're insane, you know that?"

"I _do_ know that," Finna agreed, "but take my word for it."

The men stared at Eret, waiting for his next orders. However, Eret was still a loss for words. Finna sighed. _Men. Too thick of skulls to get_ any _point across._ She took this opportunity to climb on the back of her dragon and take off.

She ignored the shouts from the boat, as she ascended to the sky. The past few minutes felt like a rush of water splashing against her, and she immediately felt cold (and not from the elevated atmosphere). During that entire time she spoke to Eret, she could barely form any coherent thoughts: she didn't mean to bump into Eret, and she didn't intend to boast herself with him. _And why does it bother me that I couldn't convince him?_ She wondered. _There are plenty of people out in the Archipelago who still aren't on the bandwagon for dragons._

She shook her head. _It's nothing, Finna._

But there was still one thing she couldn't get out of her mind:

 _Who is Drago Bludvist, and what does he want with our dragons?_

* * *

Hiccup sighed, as he smelt the air around him. _Ah. Home sweet home._

The fresh smells of mutton and fish filled the atmosphere, and Hiccup's mouth was starting to water. He felt that he hadn't eaten in days – or even _weeks,_ for that matter – and he couldn't wait to join the Great Hall for the meal. _And I finally can have one minute that doesn't involve crazy Valkyries and marriages._

The clouds were thick, despite the sun starting to set. Hiccup wasn't entirely positive, but he assumed that the thick clouds were actually smoke coming from the fires to cook the mutton and fish for the evening's meals. It always happened like this, and it only made Hiccup's stomach growl louder than before.

"So… what do we do when we land?" Heather asked. "Your dad's bound to ask questions, and what are we supposed to tell him?"

Hiccup sighed. "I'm not sure." Truthfully, he had almost forgotten about the arrangements until he entered Berk's atmosphere. And _what_ was he supposed to tell his father? He _couldn't_ tell him about the Valkyrie (although his mother knew already, but Hiccup knew she wouldn't tell him), or even about the insane dragon trappers that crossed their way.

Stoick wouldn't have reacted well to _that_ news in the least bit.

"Hey… do you think Finna told him about the Valkyrie?" Heather suddenly asked.

 _Crap._ "I'm not sure," Hiccup admitted. "If she was mad, then she might have said something."

He glanced down at the island, which was now in their view. The smoke had finally disappeared, and Hiccup noticed the people down on the island. From his view, he couldn't see his parents, but he figured everyone was preparing dinner, since the population of Berk were heading for the largest building on the island: the Great Hall.

"Well, here's hoping Finna kept her mouth shut," Hiccup prayed.

* * *

"Ah! My son has returned!" Stoick shouted.

Hiccup ignored the looks from the other Hairy Hooligans as he hopped off Toothless. He tried to glance around them, trying to find his sister (where the Hell _was_ she?), without being conspicuous. Heather followed closely behind him, with her bag on her shoulder.

Stoick patted his arm. "So… how was your little adventure?" he asked, pulling Hiccup closer to him. "Do you think you two got a little…" Stoick raised an eyebrow. "… _closer_?"

"You _do_ realize she's two feet away from us," Hiccup said, glancing around him. _Where is Finna?_

"Oh, son. Don't be too worried about that." They stopped by the Great Hall, where a large man with a thick black coat took Heather inside the building. "Is it true that you and Heather are considering the marriage?"

Hiccup sighed. "Dad, there's something you need to know-"

"Hiccup, if you did anything that might've jeopardized this deal-" Stoick's voice boomed.

"No! It's what Heather, Finna and I found," Hiccup explained, pulling away from his father. "You see, we were flying, and we ran into these trappers-"

"Speaking of Finna," Stoick interrupted, "where _is_ she?"

Hiccup stopped. He was angry that his father was _still_ interrupting him, and that he never listened, after all these years. Could he not get one word out to Stoick without being interrupted?

But there was one thing that relinquished his anger: "Wait. Finna hasn't come _back_ yet?" he asked.

 _Oh gods._

Stoick's face went into immediate fear. Hiccup would have said that his own face displayed the same level of fear as his father, but he couldn't tell. Finna had never been one to sway too far from Berk, unless she was accompanied by one of the Dragon Riders or Hiccup. She, despite her stubborn behaviour, knew her way around the Barbaric Archipelago.

"Where the Hell is your sister?" Stoick demanded.

"I thought she would have been home by now," Hiccup insisted.

"She said she'd be with you and Heather the entire time when she left here," Stoick said, with a low whisper. "You know her: she's as stubborn as your mother. She wouldn't listen when I told her that you and Heather wanted some alone time."

Hiccup cringed. "Dad, I never _said_ we needed alone time-"

"-And she said something about Heather wanting some rock thing for her Magnet opus-"

"- _Magnum_ Opus," Hiccup corrected.

"-So I assumed that maybe she could go, to keep an eye on you and Heather, to make sure that neither one of you decided to do anything inappropriate."

Hiccup groaned, and held his hands up in frustration. "Dad, Heather and I are _not_ doing anything inappropriate!"

Stoick sighed. "Fine. I'll take your word for it, son." He then glared at Hiccup. "But you better go and find your sister. If she's not back by nightfall, then _both_ of you are grounded."

Hiccup gaped. "Wait, me _too_? Come on, Dad! You know how much Toothless loves to fly in the morning, and he can't fly without me!"

"Then," the Chief of Berk shrugged casually, "you better go find your sister soon." And with that, he left his son to curse the gods above in Asgard, and joined the Hairy Hooligans inside to feast on mutton and fish.

Toothless moaned, as Hiccup stood there in bewilderment.

"Great. I haven't gotten through with Dad, and I have to find my incompetent sister before nightfall," Hiccup groaned. "Not to mention that I have a Valkyrie woman who, I'm pretty sure, wants to kill me for somehow _enslaving_ her dragons."

Hiccup sighed once again. "Does that sound ridiculous?" he asked Toothless.

The dragon merely tilted his head, and smiled a toothless grin.

"Thanks, bud," Hiccup pat Toothless on the head with affection. "At least _you_ know I'm not insane." He adjusted Toothless' saddle, and hopped on it. "C'mon, bud. We need to go find Finn before we _both_ get grounded-"

"HICCUP!"

The young man looked at Toothless, curiously. "What the Hell was that?" he asked. He looked up to the sky and gasped. "Finna?"

A familiar-looking dragon with scales that looked like fur came flying down, closer and closer to Berk. As the dragon came flying in, Hiccup recognized the familiar dragon as the only Woolly Howl that he had seen in a long time, rode by his auburn-haired sister.

The Woolly Howl landed not four feet from Toothless and Hiccup, and she fell down panting. Finna hopped off Blizzard, and rubbed the dragon's head. She ran over to Hiccup, and also began to pant. Hiccup didn't know if was from lack of exercise or a message that she needed to tell her brother.

"Hiccup! I- I think our dragons are in d-danger!" Finna panted. She leaned down, and put her head to the ground. "I- I spoke to Eret, and he mentioned someone named-"

Hiccup pulled her up. "Wait, why did you see Eret _again_? I thought we both agreed that he was just some crazy trapper."

Finna shook her head. "I might have accidentally ran into him, but that isn't the point!" she insisted. "He's working for some guy named Drago Bludvist, and he wants all our dragons for some reason."

Hiccup frowned. Not many things scared his younger sister. In fact, Finna was quite fearless when it came to opponents. Heck, she was able to stand up to Alvin and Dagur alone, and they were considered terrors for young children. _But if this man scares her-_

"We'll tell Dad," he assured her, as he helped her up. "He'll know what to do with this…Dargo Bluddyfist guy."

 _I hope,_ was his only thought.

* * *

Hiccup found his father sitting beside Beardhead and Gobber, drinking ale. The three men seemed to have joined in a drinking game, because they were banging their mugs against the table near the doors of the Great Hall, and there were other men cheering them on. Hiccup noticed Heather had joined with the Dragon Riders at a table not too far, and they were watching the parents compete.

Valka, on the other hand, was with some of the other women and speaking respectfully with them. A Terrible Terror had joined them, and she was petting it as it climbed on her shoulder and begged for food. Some of the other women giggled as it panted for a piece of fish. She laughed as well, and fed the starving Terrible Terror a piece of her fish.

She looked up and noticed Hiccup helping Finna inside, and immediately stood up. Valka's motherly instincts went for Finna, and she hugged her.

"My gods, Finna! I thought you were missing! When your father told me you hadn't returned with Hiccup and Heather, I feared the worse-"

Finna pulled away from Valka. "Mom, I'm okay, but we need to talk to Dad."

Valka nodded, and released her daughter. However, she went and hugged her son. It was a brief hug, but Hiccup enjoyed his mother's embrace. It was soft, and gentle (like she was… when she wasn't being stubborn…).

"Did you find the Valkyrie?" she asked, pulling away from her son.

Hiccup nodded. He had almost forgotten about the Valkyrie. "She… she wasn't very happy to see me." He chuckled. "Although, she had some questions for me." Finna smiled as well. "Oh, and she hates Finna, too."

"She thought I was going to attack her," Finna admitted.

"Why am I not surprised?" Valka asked, with a shake of her head.

"But I _didn't_!" Finna insisted.

Hiccup laughed. "Because charging at a feral woman isn't considered _attacking_ ," he said, emphasis on the word _attacking._ "Oh, and calling her a crazy bitch probably impressed her right up, too."

Finna smirked, but Valka smacked her daughter's shoulder. "Finnawen Valahamara Haddock, _what_ did I _tell_ you about swearing?"

"That the gods do not like it, and I may not get in Valhalla if I keep swearing," Finna recited with a monotone voice, which caused Hiccup to laugh. "Mom, do you think I'm a little too old to be told _not_ to swear?"

Valka folded her arms. "Yes, but you never listen, do you?"

Hiccup couldn't help but smile. The way Valka smirked at Finna told him that she wasn't being serious. _Hmm… is_ this _where I got my humor from?_

With a shake of his head, he pulled Finna toward the loudest table in the Great Hall. The men were still shouting at the two remaining men drinking full cups of ale, and it looked as though Stoick and Beardhead were the last remaining challengers (Hiccup figured Gobber lost, just by how the blacksmith was snoring on the floor with beer spilled on him).

"Dad?" Hiccup interrupted.

Stoick was inches from what seemed like his seventh flask when he turned around to face his son. "Oi, Hiccup! You got yer sister home okay!" He stood up and raised Hiccup's hand. "To my son, the Pride of Berk, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!"

The men at the table, even Beardhead, raised their mugs and cheered.

"Uh… what exactly _did_ I do?" Hiccup whispered to Stoick.

Stoick laughed. Hiccup could smell the taste of beer and ale from his breath. "Isn't my son hilarious? He knows to make his old man laugh, don't ye?"

Hiccup pulled his hand out of his father's grasp. "Dad, there's something you need to know." With some encouragement, he pulled Stoick from the table. He made his father, as drunk as he appeared, face him. "Dad, there's a man who's wants to take our dragons."

Stoick looked serious for a moment, but then laughed. "Oh, you're funny, Hiccup! You know that Dagur is locked up, and Alvin's been reformed." He patted his son's shoulder. "For a moment, I thought you were going to mention some warlord-"

"Dad, who's Dargo…" Hiccup thought for a second, "...Bluddy-fist?"

"It's _Drago Bludvist,"_ Finna corrected.

Stoick suddenly grabbed Hiccup's shoulders and stared at his son with the most serious tone Hiccup had ever seen on his father. The older man's eyes fixated on Hiccup's eyes, and for the first time in years, Hiccup feared for his own safety from his father.

"Drago Bludvist… are you _sure?"_ he asked, in a very serious tone.

Hiccup nodded. "Yea… Finna said a man was trapping dragons for him-" He raised an eyebrow. "Wait… you _know_ this man?"

Stoick glanced at Valka, whose face was equally as serious. "Val, we need to get everyone to head for the shelter." He faced the group of Hairy Hooligans meeting in the Great Hall, who were laughing and eating with their families. "If Drago has dragons… then the Gods help us."

Hiccup gaped, as Valka joined beside her husband. "Wait! Why, what's the matter, Dad?" he asked. Finna stared at her brother in equal confusion.

Stoick turned back around to face his children. "I must prepare you for war."

* * *

 _Alright, how was that for a cliffhanger? XD_

 _What's going to happen? Now, keep in mind that I'm trying hard not to follow too closely to HTTYD2 (although you guys may not be totally convinced by now XD)._

 _See you guys soon :)_


	9. Preparing For War

_Did anyone catch the Game of Thrones reference? (Yes, I know you did, YouDisloyalBastard and acw28... XD)_

 _So... yea... thanks for the review in the last chapter, guys :) Oh! And the added follows and faves! Thank you all who added this story to their faves and followed it :D_

 _Here's chapter 9, and I hope you enjoy :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 9: Preparing For War_

"War?!" Hiccup shouted.

He followed Stoick through the secret catacombs, where the Hairy Hooligans were pulling their dragons inside the nesting area. Dragons and Hooligans alike began to crash in, carrying in supplies and their young, and Hiccup had to jump out of the way in order to not be trampled by anyone.

"Dad, you can't just say that and take off-" Hiccup insisted.

Stoick, as usual, wasn't listening to Hiccup. He pushed aside, and passed the hurrying Vikings. "Ground all dragons!"

"What? _Why_?!" Hiccup asked, chasing after his determined father. "Dad, if this guy wants war-"

 **"** Seal the gates! Lower the storm doors!" Stoick shouted to a nearby Viking. The woman nodded, and ran for the gates. Another Viking cranked the lever for the storm doors, and the doors quickly shut.

Heather followed Beardhead, whom both stared at Stoick with bewilderment. Beardhead's eyes were wide, and full of questions. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. _Wait_! What is happening, Stoick?"

Stoick was too busy ordering the Hooligans to answer the other Chief. Hiccup himself was preoccupied with following his father. Finna and Valka, sadly, were still stunned by the event, but followed Stoick's lead by helping people lock down.

 **"** Come on! You heard the man! Lock it down!" Gobber shouted, who was waddling behind the small company.

"No _dragon_ or _viking_ sets foot off this island until I give the word!" Stoick shouted.

 _Okay, this is getting ridiculous,_ Hiccup thought. "Wait, because some guy you knew is stirring up trouble in some faraway land?" he asked.

"Because Drago Bludvist is a madman," Stoick explained, finally listening to his son. "Without conscious or mercy. And if he's built a dragon army... gods help us all." He faced a young Viking. "Get them into their pens!"

 **"** Aye, Stoick!" the young Viking, Hoark, replied.

 **"** Quickly!" Stoick insisted.

Hiccup pushed himself through the swarm of dragons and Vikings alike, as Hoark and some men pulled the dragons into separate pens. "Well, why don't we meet up with his trappers, and talk some sense in Drago?"

Stoick shook his head. "No. We fortify the island."

"It's our duty to keep the peace!" Hiccup insisted.

The Chief of Berk had never looked do determined in his life. "Peace is _over_ , Hiccup. War is coming, whether we want it or not."

Hiccup knew it was difficult to get through his father, especially when he was under the impression that he had to put his own chief duties before his son's thoughts. But Hiccup was determined to try. "Dad, if Drago's coming for our dragons, we can't wait around for him to get here. Let's go find him and change his mind," Hiccup offered.

Stoick frowned. "Some minds won't be changed, Hiccup." He turned back around and shouted more orders: "Secure the stable! Latch every stall!"

Hiccup huffed, in defeat. "Dad-"

Beardhead looked at Hiccup. "What's happening?"

Hiccup had almost forgotten about the Hysteric Chief. "A man named Drago Bludvist has an army of dragons," Hiccup explained quickly. "But Dad keeps insisting we can't talk to him."

The Hysteric chief blinked. "Drago Bludvist?" he asked, solemnly.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You know him, too?"

There was a tenderness to his face, which indicated his experience with the name must have caused him grief. "Sadly yes. My brother, Woolshed, was the chief of the Hysterics many years ago, and he met him." He shook his head, and went to join Stoick.

"Uhh..." Hiccup couldn't help but say... what else could he _say_? "So… this Drago guy wants war…" he said to no one in particular. But it might have been for more himself.

"And he's coming for our dragons," Heather realized.

Finna frowned. "I'm not letting anyone steal my Blizzard." The Woolly Howl nuzzled her head against Finna.

Hiccup patted Toothless as well. "Don't worry, bud. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He ran over to where his father and Beardhead were standing, followed by Heather and Finna, with their dragons.

"Stoick, what's the best motive?" Beardhead asked.

"We hide, for now," Stoick explained. "Until I notify the other chiefs of the situation."

Hiccup frowned. "Dad, we _can't_ just sit by." He thought about the fear that Finna portrayed when she spoke about Drago, and suddenly thought of the Valkyrie. How possessive the Valkyrie was with calling the dragons her brothers and sisters, and how she believed everyone was treating them as slaves. He didn't think that seeing her again would be beneficial, but what other choice did they have to stopping Drago, if they didn't gain her as an ally? "We can rally up the other islands, and speak to the chiefs."

Stoick shook his head once again. "Son, a chief protects their own. I am trying to protect this island, and this family."

Heather placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup, I think we should listen. If this Drago man wants war, then we should stay away from it."

Hiccup didn't listen to her. In his mind, he was already coming up with a plan. If he could just get out there, to where he met the Valkyrie, and convince her that _he_ wanted to stop this man from enslaving dragons... then maybe she could see that Hiccup _was_ her ally.

He didn't think twice to jump on Toothless' back.

"Hiccup, _don't_."

Hiccup looked back and saw his mother. Her arms were crossed and she looked at Hiccup sternly. Shit. If his father scared him... Then his mother terrified him. Finna and Heather backed up and allowed mother and son to speak.

"You know I can do this," Hiccup said, not moving from Toothless' back. "I can keep the peace between the races. I can convince Drago."

"I know, son," Valka said. "But you have a duty to the Hooligans. And Heather and Finna."

"You want me to sit around and wait for this Drago man to _attack_ us?" Hiccup asked. When his mother didn't answer, he continued: "You _know_ I am a peacekeeper. I need to show him that dragons don't need to be enslaved. That we treat dragons as family, and we would never hurt them again." He sighed. "Or… at least let me go to the Valkyrie to convince her to help us."

Valka thought. "If going to her didn't work… perhaps she will come to you. Then you do it, where you have the advantage of hundreds of dragons and Vikings on your side." She hugged her son, and joined Stoick.

Heather came up. "I have to hand it to your mother, it's a good plan."

The young heir didn't want to admit it, but he

Hiccup sighed. "I guess so."

But Hiccup couldn't help but wonder if the Valkyrie would ever come and help them, even after not convincing her that the Hooligans didn't enslave dragons. Did she know who Drago was, and was that why she seemed so... distrustful against him?

* * *

Finna was completely speechless.

Out of all the things that could've happened… she didn't expect for Stoick to shut down the entire island. But was he right? Was this Drago man _really_ a war monger?

She got up from her cot and sat with the other young adults. Fishlegs was listing the types of dragons they had that could fight against Drago, while the twins fought over who would tell the next horror story. Snotlout was trying to get Ruffnut's attention by showing off one of his scars that he received from the previous Dragon Race.

To her relief, there were three other Dragon Riders who were _not_ totally insane. She removed herself from the peering eyes of Tuffnut and joined the three younger riders. Just like her, they were all seventeen and eighteen years old (the next Dragon Riders, as Hiccup pointed out). They consisted of Gustav Larsen, the mini Snotlout; Adelaide Jorgenson, Snotlout's younger sister and Finna's cousin; and Brenna Hofferson, the best warrior in the group. In addition, there was also Lars Thorston, Ruffnut and Tuffnut's younger cousin; and Ragnar Brynjarsen, a healer-in-training.

"So… what do you think's gonna happen?" Brenna asked.

Finna shrugged, as she pulled out her hammer and started to clean it with a cloth. "Who knows? I doubt Dad's going to allow any of us to leave until this mess blows over." She shuttered. " _If_ it ever blows over."

Adelaide huffed. "I only hope we aren't left to my _stupid_ _brother's_ leadership. I'd rather be led by Uncle Stoick."

Gustav stopped admiring his new beard in his reflection of a flask and gasped. "What's wrong with the _amazing_ Snotlout? He's my _inspiration_ ," he boasted.

"Find another inspiration," Lars insisted.

Brenna grunted. "If you want inspiration, you should look up to Fishlegs or Hiccup."

Gustav smirked. "Why? Got a _crush_ on them?"

"No," Brenna insisted, but her face went bright red.

Finna made a disgusted face. " _Please_ don' tell me you've got a crush on my brother." She glanced over to where Heather was sitting: beside Hiccup and Fishlegs, as they tried to tell her some of their adventures after ending the Dragon War ( _yes,_ she eavesdropped…). "He's practically a married man."

Adelaide, Gustav, and Lars chuckled, while Brenna grew into a bright red in the face.

"At least you seem to like your new sister-in-law," Ragnar admitted, shyly. "And she seems nice, too."

Finna rolled her eyes. "I guess so."

She finally remembered why she didn't hang out with the Vikings her age: they were all too preppy. At least between the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs (including her brother), they were all allowed to join the Dragon Academy. It wasn't for some time when Hiccup (with the Riders' agreement) that the younger teens be allowed to join. Finna, being one of the first Riders of Berk, she was automatically allowed to join (despite being only twelve when she chose Blizzard).

Sadly, this separated her from her fellow… yearlings, and further distanced herself from them. They all received dragons, but they could not become official Riders until Hiccup deemed it so. And, well… that was only a couple of years ago.

With less encouragement, she got up and left the small group of people her age.

"-And I think that the Tracker class should have a Rumblehorn as its sigil, since it's the first tracker dragon we've seen on Berk," Fishlegs was explaining to Heather when Finna joined them. Finna didn't exactly catch it, but she noticed how intrigued Heather was with Fishlegs' words.

Finna hit Heather with the side of her hand. "If Fishlegs' bothering you with all his nerd talk of dragons, you can tell him," she said.

"No, I don't mind," Heather insisted. "I actually quite find his nerd talk intriguing."

That would have made Finna puke on sight, but her mind was to her brother, who was staring contently at the wall. Toothless had his head nuzzled against Hiccup's lap, his legs crossed over on the cold ground of the cave.

"Hey, are you okay?" Finna asked. Her brother was never one to… well, _not_ talk. "Is it because Dad doesn't want you going to find Drago?"

Hiccup didn't answer.

Finna nodded. "Oh." She nudged him with her shoulder. "Come on… it's not so bad. Look," she pointed to two men with cards, "there's euchre over there, and" then to Gothi and five men with cards, "-poker- wait, I think Gothi's _winning_ \- oh! And there's stories-" Valka was with some children, telling them stories of what sounded like Hiccup's adventures,"-well... it's _Mom's_ stories…"

Hiccup smiled, but it was small, and Finna noticed the dullness in his eyes. "You know... it may be simply an overreaction he could be having," she insisted.

It was just at that moment when Stoick walked passed them. Finna pulled Hiccup up.

"Hey, Dad?"

Stoick turned back to face his children.

"Could you… er-" _Come on! You gotta cheer Hiccup up somehow!_ "-tell us why Drago's a-" She then bit her tongue. _Shit!_

Stoick sighed. "It's not a pleasant tale, Finn. All you need to know is that men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with."

Finna glanced back at Hiccup, who now was raising his eyebrow. "What exactly happened, Dad?" he finally asked.

Stoick sighed once again. "Years ago, around the time when Hiccup was born, there was a great gathering of chieftains to discuss the dragon scourge we all faced. Into our midst came a stranger from a strange land, covered in scars and draped in a cloak of dragon skin."

Finna found herself lost in her father's words, picturing the atmosphere of a roomful of chieftains, where a large man in drapes hid within the shadows of his cloak. To her, it was a frightening thought.

"He carried no weapon and spoke softly, saying that he, Drago Bludvist, was a man of the people, devoted to freeing mankind from the tyranny of dragons. He claimed that he alone could control the dragons and he alone could keep us safe, if we chose to bow down and follow him."

For some reason… Finna found herself laughing. Hiccup chuckled, too, but not as loudly as her.

"Aye. We laughed too," Stoick agreed. "Until he wrapped himself in his cloak and cried, " _Then see how well you do without me!_ " The rooftop suddenly burst into flames, and from it, armored dragons descended, burning the hall to the ground. I… was the only one to escape."

Hiccup and Finna looked at each other, with bewildered expressions. Could… could Drago really be that _terrible_?

"Maybe..." Hiccup agreed.

"Son," Stoick warned.

"No, hear me out, Dad," Hiccup said. "There's someone who can help us."

Finna gulped. _Don't be an idiot, Fishbone._

Stoick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Son, we must protect our own-"

"-but what if we had a bigger dragon army than Drago? Then we can at least defend Berk-"

"And for what, Hiccup?" Stoick demanded. "The loss of more dragons? Son, he _wants_ the dragons. He _wants_ to be in control, don't you see that?!"

Hiccup clenched his fists, the Haddock stubbornness shining through his face. "Dad, there's a woman out there who has a nest _full_ of dragons! And if Drago gets there first, we'll all be dead!"

Stoick stayed silent. Finna could literally hear her father's breathing, which was rasp and uneasy. She only hoped that her father wasn't stressing himself out with different scenarios in his head. Gods, please calm him down.

"Is... that why you and Heather went out? To find this... _woman_?" His voice was barely a whisper; Finn didn't know if she should be relieved or scare.

Finna bit her lip, as she watched her brother show true fear on his face. She had only seen her brother reciprocate fear from only one man, and that was their own father. Here… there was no difference. Reluctantly, her brother nodded.

The Chief sighed, and did something Finna didn't expect her father to do. He walked away from them.

Finna glanced at Hiccup. She knew the best thing to do now was to stay quiet. She, of all people, knew that Hiccup wanted to leave and fly and just scream where no one could hear him. It was just the way he was; he harbored years of anger inside himself, and he was two seconds from exploding.

However, he never did. He merely patted Toothless' head, and walked back to his original sitting area. Finna watched as he ignored the conversations from the Dragon Riders, as though he was invisible to them. _Just like when he was younger._

Strangely, the Valkyrie seemed to be lonely, too. Finna figured that she would have been the only human within a dragon nest for who knows how many years… wouldn't that become lonesome after some time? And Hiccup seemed to have understood this...

 _Maybe that's why Hiccup's so interested in her…._

The young Haddock noticed it the moment Hiccup and the Valkyrie saw each other. Finna had been pretending to have been helping Heather collect her moonstone; she secretly was watching her brother communicate with the Valkyrie. There was a moment – a close, and gross moment- where the two of them were inches apart… closer than either have been to another human (not related to Hiccup, at least).

Finna saw the spark between them.

She _knew_ her brother felt the spark.

 _Our only hope is that this Valkyrie felt it as well._

* * *

The night was unbearably quiet.

When no sign of Drago came up throughout the late afternoon, Stoick ordered that everyone stay inside their homes. The dragons, however, were kept within the pens. The Chief also had volunteers, in the numbers of ten, to watch out for any signs within the night (and rotate through the evening). Stoick wasn't making any chances of the dragons flying out, or Drago coming in.

Hiccup was miserable.

He could only stare at the ceiling, listening to the quiet night outside. Where that ceiling was… a roof stood over it. The same roof where, at dawn, would shake the dust clean off the ceiling and on his barely awake face. Where his dragon would demand his routine flight.

It was midnight, perhaps. Hiccup wasn't sure. He knew where his dragon _wasn't_ : outside, right at the doorstep, sleeping under the stars and moon. No. Toothless was with the other dragons on Berk: in the closed, claustrophobic area where Drago couldn't get them. The pen. The pen that could not possibly hold _every_. _Single_. _Dragon_. But… the Hairy Hooligans _somehow_ managed.

Typical stubborn Vikingness.

He turned his body on his side. Why his father locked up Toothless up as well… was beyond him. _There's no way Drago could capture Toothless; and why?_ Hiccup immediately thought of Toothless' fin. Would Drago have any use of a Night Fury, despite its disability? Hiccup shook his head. _Never to me._

Truthfully, he missed Toothless. This was the longest he had been away from him, and that wasn't including when Stoick and the rest of the Hooligans took Toothless to Helheim's Gate to destroy the nest. And yet… Hiccup's heart yearned for Toothless in the same amount. _I hope you're okay, bud,_ he could only think.

* * *

 _"Son, Beardhead's been asking about the proposal. He wants an answer from you about Heather before he decides to hand her to another heir."_

 _Hiccup sighed as he finished eating his breakfast. "Dad, Heather's nice and all, but I don't want to get married."_

 _Stoick laughed. "Son, you're thinking about this all wrong. Once you're married, you can live in your own house. And you and Heather can work together." He bent down slightly to his son's ear level. "And perhaps some grandbabies?"_

 _"Gods, Dad!" The heir shouted, immediately jumping out of his seat._

 _Finna Haddock just so happened to have overheard the conversation, and her face changed from her usually freckled face to a light green. The next second she was yelling out the door and the distinct sound of her hurling up her breakfast._

 _Valka Haddock immediately stood up and stepped over to Hiccup's side. "Stoick, leave the poor boy alone. He's too young to consider marrying a younger woman," Valka intervened._

 _Hiccup bit in his breakfast and silently thanked his mother for the intervention._

* * *

To think, merely days ago… the only issue Hiccup had was that he was going to be betrothed to someone he barely knew… and all for a stupid peace treaty between the Hysterics and the Hairy Hooligans.

 _And look at how much everything had changed…_ Hiccup could only muster.

Now… he was feeling lonelier than ever. His best friend was caged up… Heather was with her father… Finna could barely speak to him… and the Valkyrie was out there…

Hiccup sighed, as the night continued to keep him aware. It was strange; how, after how ungrateful the Valkyrie was to see him… he could still admire her for her love of dragons. How… loyal she was. He scoffed. _If she's loyal, then she should try to save her_ brothers _and_ sisters _here._

There was only one thing he could think to do:

"Uh… hey, Thor," he said, to the empty room. He kept his voice quiet, as to not alert his snoring father and sister in the rooms across from him. "Oh… and Odin. Freyja. Sif. And Loki… can't forget about _him-_ " _because_ that _would be an utter disaster._ "I… uh… I know you guys are probably… busy with… uh… things…" He sighed. "Look… I need help. Dad thinks we don't need help with this Drago Bludvist… but I think the Valkyrie can help."

He paused. "So… if you guys could give me a sign that… she can help… I would very much appreciate it." He waited again. "Thank you- oh, and please tell Finna that I didn't do anything inappropriate with the Valkyrie." _I still don't know why she's convinced I slept with her or something…_

* * *

 _Stoick sighed, as he placed his plate on the table. "Val, the boy is... well... hardly a boy anymore. He can't keep living here. I certainly didn't at his age."_

 _"Right, because you and Alvin decided to camp in the woods trying to kill dragons," Valka huffed._

 _Stoick threw his arms in the air in exasperation. "It's what we did, Valka. Men at that age were hanging out with their friends and trying to kill dragons. Not helping around the house or crafting who knows what with Gobber."_

 _"Well, now teenagers and young adults are riding dragons, Stoick," Valka shot back. "The times have changed, but people don't."_

 _Stoick shook his head. "All I ask is to have Hiccup at least consider having a family!"_

 _Valka's face was as red as her husband's hair. Whatever point she was about to make… Hiccup knew that Dad was going to regret unleashing the dragon. "Maybe he doesn't! I certainly didn't at his age-!"_

 _"GUYS!" Hiccup shouted._

 _The three Haddocks stared at Hiccup with bewilderment._

 _"I am right here," Hiccup said. "I should be able to discuss my future with both of you. As a family, since this is my life we are discussing."_

 _Stoick didn't change his face. "Son, we are doing what's best for you. And you can't possibly decide your marriage, since you're too-" He stopped._

 _"What, childish?" Hiccup accused, when Stoick continue._

 _"I was going to say free-spirited," the Chief finally said._

 _But Hiccup didn't listen to whatever his father had to add. The young Dragon Master was out of the door before Stoick could notice what or how his son left._

* * *

"…Amen… I guess," Hiccup said.

He waited. For a split moment... he actually thought something would happen. Hiccup wasn't too in tuned with the Vikings' religion, but he knew that the Gods should be respected. But… he never actually practised _asking_ the Gods for anything. From when he was younger… he could remember being told that the Gods didn't always answer prayers the way people expected. _Gothi said… er… wrote… that they were_ temperamental _, especially Loki: they only answered the way they wanted to._

But he couldn't just wait for an answer.

He sighed again. "This was a stupid idea," he said to himself. _Why did I even bother asking them?_ Hiccup should have known better. He shifted his body again, now facing his window. Where the dark sky shined with the stars and the full moon… it was beautiful, but it was annoying now. It only reminded him that he was alone.

It wasn't two seconds later that something hit him in the head.

"Ow! What the-" He rubbed his head. "What in the nine realms hit me?" he asked, in a quieter tone. The last thing he wanted to do was alert his parents, or Finna. So he searched around him, hoping to have heard a tumble of some sort. _Or something like a bang._

He glanced down at his arm, where a rock was.

 _Oh… that's convenient._

Tied to the rock was a slip of paper, tied with what appeared to be some rope. He untied the rope, and undid the letter. Opening it… he could tell that it was nothing of writing… but a symbol of some kind. Hiccup rotated the paper… and immediately caught on:

It was an arrow.

With a quick pace, he walked across the squeaky floor (and on one foot, mind you) and peered out the window. But all he could see was the vast grass of the island, and the water beyond it. He looked back down, straight to where the ground was, but there was nothing.

"If you know what's best, you'll stay quiet."

Hiccup looked back up and held in his scream, with as much strength he could muster.

On a Deadly Naddar, with a hood raised, was the Valkyrie.

* * *

 _Okay... lots of Finna there... and is there another Hofferson? *gasps* and Gustav? XD_

 _Don't worry. There will be more Hiccstrid in the next chapter (once I get it written...). I'm not sure when I'll be able to update... I had four days off last week, and I'm back to work tomorrow... so hopefully by August 25 the latest you guys will get another chapter._

 _Okay, I'll see you soon :) And don't forget to review and tell me what you think :)_


	10. The Valkyrie Returns

_Hey guys! So here is Chapter 10!_

 _Oh, and before I get too ahead, I have planned two prequels for this story... once I get this one finished. They will individually focus on both Hiccup and Astrid. While Hiccup's prequel will follow the first movie (with some major changes), Astrid's prequel will be inspired by Tarzan (Disney or not... I haven't decided. But I have been getting a Tarzan vibe recently XD)._

 _If you guys like the idea, let me know :) And I'll see you soon :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 10: The Valkyrie Returns_

The first thing Hiccup did was jump back.

It wasn't really his intention to; especially when he crashed into his bedside table, and books and papers on it went flying all over the room. He found himself also falling to the ground, with his prosthetic dispatching from him in the process.

There were no words for what Hiccup could tell the Valkyrie. Literally, his muscles in his throats ceased in place and he lost the ability to speak. Like when he was ready to kill Toothless, and the Night Fury pounced on him. Or more recently, when she _choked_ him nearly to death upon their first meeting.

It was no wonder he could hardly breathe on top of all of that.

The Valkyrie's eyes never left Hiccup's gaze. Yea… that wasn't helping at all with his breathing. Her blue eyes were filled with fire, as always, the constant passion of a dragon in her stare. He cringed. _How can this woman make me scare so – easily?_

But why in all the nine realms was _she_ doing on Berk?

And – oh gods, was she crawling through the _window?!_

Hiccup cringed, as the Valkyrie jumped through, and ascended to Hiccup with a slow approach. _She's here to kill me._ Yep, that was the only explanation. She had him cornered and didn't want him to scream to alert his family. Or even worse… she _wanted_ them to hear him scream, so that was the last sound they would ever hear from him.

His first instinct was to grab his Inferno, which, by odd coincident, was right beside him. The look of contextual evil was written on her face, as it shifted in his vision as a dragon's muzzle. He could feel the fear within his veins cringing at the sight of her, as he clutched the cool metal within his fingers.

"Where is your Night Fury?"

Out of all the plausible scenarios he'd come up with, which involved the Valkyrie, _this_ was _not_ on the list of his ideas.

Hiccup blinked. "Wh-... what?"

The Valkyrie didn't move. "Your dragon, the Night Fury." She glanced around his bedroom. "Obviously, he isn't here. Where is he?"

Hiccup merely pointed to the window. He couldn't trust himself to speak.

It was then when the Valkyrie moved. She turned her body around, and walked toward the window. With no look of hesitation, she leaped out.

Hiccup jumped up and ran to it. _What the Hel is this woman's problem?! Is she crazy?!_ He glanced down the window, hoping to find any indication of the Valkyrie. And yet, there was no body… no evidence that she fell to her death. It didn't help that the dragon had disappeared as well.

Swiftly, Hiccup grabbed his sword and lifted his leg over the windowsill. It proved to be more difficult than anticipated, since his peg leg soon was stuck in a crack in the wood. Hiccup frowned, as he tugged hard. _So much for stealth._ He reached for his stump, and unclamped his peg leg off.

Now free, he slid down the side of the house, and landed swiftly on his attached foot. _Hm… not so bad, Haddock,_ he mused. He stood up and clasped Inferno to his belt.

 _Now…_ He looked around the site of the island. It was so dark… he was surprised that the Valkyrie could even navigate through all these houses. Just as Stoick ordered, not even a torch was lit for each home, including the torches at the podiums guarding Berk. Hiccup sighed. _Where the Hel could she have gone?_

There was a distant _ooph!_ from a few miles down the island.

Hiccup didn't hesitate to run. He ran to the edge of the Haddock property, and had his attention to the nesting area. Oddly enough, it was still closed, but it still looked strange. The torches were blown out, and the men that were usually posted there, at least since a few hours ago, were now laying on the ground unconscious.

 _Great…_ Hiccup groaned. _There she goes… stealing our dragons._

There was only one thing he could do: he jogged down the hill and headed for the nesting area. Luckily, the men on duty were knocked out, so he hardly worried about getting caught. _Unless they wake up…_

He bent down to one of the guards, and studied the unconscious body. He recognized the young Viking, with blonde hair and a _charming_ complexion: it was Hoark, who was not much older than Hiccup. And for some reason… Hiccup had to laugh. _Not so tough now, are you, Hoark?_ he couldn't help but think with a grin.

Hiccup noticed a small dart in Hoark's neck, dripping with a black substance. He pulled it out and sniffed it. It had a revolting stench, smelling of the ocean.

There was only one thing that smelt like that.

 _Squid ink?_

It _must_ have been squid ink. It was the most common form of knock-out for trapping. Hiccup only knew of it from the regular dragon trappers he came across on his travels with Finna and the Riders. He studied the dart. It was brilliant crafted, even for _him_ (and he happened to appreciate the beautiful work).

So how did _she,_ of all people, come in the possession of darts with squid ink?

He sighed, as he got back up to follow the nesting area. Inferno was now gripped in his hand, ready to ignite. If talking didn't work… then he'd _force_ her to stop.

And he was ready, until –

"Ah!" he yelled.

A hand went over his mouth.

"Silence, or you're dragon's a goner."

Hiccup lifted an eyebrow. "How ebacky r ew panen-" He groaned and threw the Valkyrie's hand off his mouth. "How _exactly_ are you planning to threaten my dragon if he's not here?" he whispered.

The Valkyrie merely pointed to behind him.

Confused, Hiccup turned around. The next moment, he found himself being licked by a rather large dragon that he could barely see because of his scales camouflaging with the night. The licking got to the point that he fell to the ground and the rather large tongue even covered his hair in saliva.

"I missed you too, bud," Hiccup said, hugging Toothless.

The dragon cooed, " _You have no idea how much I missed you, Hiccup."_ In addition, he nuzzled Hiccup with the upmost affection he had ever shown to him. Then, he frowned to the Viking. " _If you ever allow this to happen again-"_

"You'll kill me, I know," Hiccup said, giving his best friend a hug.

"Come with us," the Valkyrie demanded, interrupting the tender moment. She was back on her dragon, ready to take off.

Hiccup didn't think twice to climb back on Toothless. It felt like forever since he was with his best friend, despite being merely a couple of hours. Now, he felt complete with being on Toothless' back. _Just like how it shout always be._

 _And it's because of her._

He patted Toothless. "It's okay. We can follow her," he said. The dragon seemed to agree, as he nodded and gave his rider a toothless grin.

Without a further word, the small company leaped off Berk and ascended to the evening sky.

* * *

It had been some time since there had been any words.

Not that Flametorch disagreed; she enjoyed the peace and quiet. It reminded her of her old life, when there were no dragon trappers or insane men who happen to wander in the dragon sanctuary. Yes... back when she was with her family… Heavenwings. Bronzer. Stormfly. Icespitter.

Yet… this emptiness of words… it felt odd.

Was it a human thing, to be incredibly quiet for the oddest things?

She lifted her hand, and stared at it. _Is my real family quiet too?_ Astrid barely remembered her true parents. The ones whom abandoned her. _Well…_ I _don't even know if they abandoned me._ She sighed. _I feel as though they left me. But why would they_ leave _me?_

Astrid looked back at Hiccup.

 _Why_ are _humans so quiet?_ She wondered. The expression on his face was hard to read… like he was speechless or something? It made no sense. _He_ was the one who wanted to find her, and the nest. So why was he speechless now?

Unless he changed his mind.

Astrid shook her head. _No._ There was _no_ way that he could change his mind. Not when the King wanted to see him. _And does he know about Drago? Was_ this _why he wanted to speak to the Dragon Master?_

She shrugged. " _Perhaps we'll find out soon enough, eh Stormfly?"_

The dragon snorted. " _You're crazy, you know that?"_

Astrid smiled. Leave it to Stormfly to cheer her up. It was one of the reasons why they stayed friends, after all these years. They knew how to speak to one another… it was simple. Without effort.

"Uh… where _exactly_ are we going?" the Dragon Master asked.

She didn't answer. _Humans… they could be so… stupid._

The flight seemed longer than ever, especially with the silence between the dragons and humans. What was it that they could talk about, even? She might be able to address the man's question, but would it break the awkward silence between them?

"We… are going to the nest," Astrid explained.

Hiccup said nothing.

Astrid watched his face again. The way Hiccup… frowned... it wasn't of sadness. Rather... it looked more like he was focusing on something. Like… really hard. She shrugged. _Perhaps he's thinking as well?_

Hiccup shrugged. "Well… what do you want me _there_ for?"

"Nothing in particular." She looked ahead. "We should be there soon."

 _And the tests will begin._

* * *

 _What could she want from me?_

Hiccup held onto the reins of Toothless' saddle tightly. His heart began to beat with uncertainty, as the four of them soared through the beautiful night. The stars were positioned across the sky, and the moon stationed high above them and completely full. It was beautiful sight, but it still made him feel uneasy.

"Uh…" he coughed, as he acquired the confidence to speak. "What _exactly_ am I doing there?" he asked.

The Valkyrie turned her head back around to face him. Her hair, loosely in a braid, flew in the wind and single hair pieces were untamed in the air. Hiccup couldn't help to point out how natural it looked for her.

"A test."

 _Test?_ Hiccup wondered.

What kind of test did the Valkyrie have planned for him?

He patted Toothless, but it was to help his nerves more than to assure Toothless. _If this test is anything like how she is usually…_ The gods only knew that Hiccup needed all of the help he could get.

"What do you mean by… _test_?" Hiccup asked, uneasy with the word.

If Hiccup knew any better, there was a smug smile on the woman's face. "Well... what do _you_ consider a test?"

"Anything that doesn't include excruciating pain and or death?" Hiccup said with a squeak in his voice.

The Valkyrie pondered at the idea. "Hmm.. not a bad idea…" When Hiccup gaped in utter shock, she chuckled. "No, I won't do anything too… excruciating…" She tilted her head. "What exactly is _excruciating_?"

"Extreme." Hiccup thought. "Overbearing. Mega. A _lot_. Terrible"

"I _think_ I got it," she said, holding her hands in protest.

Hiccup had to smile at that. Strangely, when the Valkyrie wasn't being a psycho-maniac dragon worshiper, she actually wasn't all that bad. She seemed rather… normal. _And to think I thought she was a dude before we met_ , Hiccup couldn't help but realize, with some humor.

" _It's too bad,"_ Toothless scoffed, " _I would've enjoyed the excruciating pain."_

Hiccup laughed. "Oh, you and your crazy fanatics, bud." He rubbed the Night Fury's head.

"You… understand their dialect?" the Valkyrie asked.

The young man swallowed hard. _Crap. I totally forgot she could understand them._ With a slow nod, he gestured to Toothless. "I can _mostly_ understand Toothless, only when I'm actually paying him any attention. Sometimes it's hard to catch when he's whispering or making conversation with other dragons. It's hard to pick up."

The Valkyrie nodded. "Did you learn from him?"

"Definitely. He's even taught me some words." He grinned. "Maybe after this little test I can show you what I know."

"Don't count your dragon eggs before they hatch," the Valkyrie could only snap back, as she turned around to face the dark night.

Toothless scoffed again. " _Finna was right; you sure picked a weird one."_

Hiccup laughed. _And this weird one's starting to grow on me._

* * *

"WHERE IS MY SON?!"

Finna shot her head up with alertness. _Shit._ There was no hesitation; she leaped from her bed and quickly changed out of her pajamas for her regular shirt and pants. Her hammer laid at her bedside, so she grabbed it and ran out of her bedroom.

Bolting down the stairs, she found her mother and father pacing in the kitchen. Stoick the Vast's face was pale, while Valka's face grew a dark shade of red. Oddly enough, Valka was the angriest person in this situation.

"What's going on?" Finna asked. "Did Hiccup set the island on fire again?"

Stoick darted his eyes to her. "Finna, _where_ is your brother?"

The seventeen year old found herself gulping. In most situations, when Hiccup escaped Berk, Finna could figure out where he went just from how he acted mere minutes ago. Like… when Stoick and Valka discussed Hiccup's marriage; Finna knew that he left for an island somewhere. _Then again.. I didn't expect him to meet up with a crazy, feral, dragon lady._

But… Hiccup _did_ talk about the Valkyrie last night…

"He's with the Valkyrie," Finna realized.

Valka's head shot up. Stoick's face turn white.

"But – but I thought he was kidding," Stoick insisted. "He wouldn't go after the Valkyrie, not after I told him not to!"

Finna shook her head. "I don't think he did, Dad." She looked at Valka. "I think the Valkyrie went after him, like Mom said she would."

Valka nodded slowly. "I _did_ say that… but I didn't _really_ think she would." She sighed. "I thought… being feral… she wouldn't want to chance risking her dragons' lives on coming to get him."

"And Hiccup's not one to just… back down on a fight," Finna added. "He came willingly, only if she had Toothless."

Stoick laughed. "Well… we can cross that one off the list. Toothless is here, and we'll use him to track down Hiccup."

Finna blinked. The way her father said that… it was though he was _certain_ that Toothless was still locked up. "Dad… did you even check the pin?" she asked slowly.

"Don't need to; we had the best men on duty last night," Stoick said, "and they didn't see anything last night-"

But she didn't hear him finish.

She had darted down the hill, passed where the dragons were still locked up. As usual, there were men stationed at the two corners of the entrance, including on the rooftop. There had been no sign of anything suspicious… except that Hoark was holding his hand up to his neck.

Finna ran up to Hoark. "Hey! What's wrong with your neck?" she asked.

"Oh, hey Finna," Hoark said, as he checked his hand. "Nothing, I think. But there's this black stuff on my neck." He showed it to Finna. "Is this… squid ink?"

Finna grabbed his hand and inspected it. It _did_ look like squid ink, but why would it be covering Hoark? Squid ink was only used in dragon trapping when taking out dragons; it caused dragons to become passed out for a few hours.

"Hoark…" Finna said slowly, "how long were you passed out?"

Hoark shrugged. "I don't know. I… I didn't even know I was." He gasped. "Oh gods! The Chief's going to kill me! He told me to stay on guard!"

Finna grabbed Hoark's arm. "Calm down, you idiot! Just tell me what you remember last."

"Well…" Hoark scratched his head. "There was a noise from behind me. I went to grab my axe, but then I felt a sharp pain in my neck. Next thing I remember was a tingle going through my body, like a fire spreading all over me. Then everything went black."

Finna nodded slowly. "Did you see anything suspicious?"

"Not really," Hoark admitted. "Although… there was something small and mysterious climbing around us. That was when I went to grab my axe." He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you suddenly curious all the sudden?"

Finna felt like slapping the twenty-four year old across the face, but she controlled herself. "Because, if you hadn't noticed, my idiot brother's dragon might have been _stolen_!" she screeched.

There was a pause from Hoark.

"Just open the goddamn doors!" Finna ordered.

Hoark nodded again, as he walked over to the huge doors. With both arms, he pulled down on the lever and the door slowly closed. Finna waited until there was only enough room for her to squeeze in, and she crawled through it.

All she could see was the shadows of what she assumed was dragons. However, Hoark had closed the door back up, and the darkness consumed her vision. And she was _not_ happy with the current situation. She could feel the scaly bodies of hundreds of dragons, and it made her sick.

"Geeze, how do you guys _see_ in here – wait! Someone… _low fire_!" she shouted.

Nearly twenty dragons lit a fire in their mouths, creating a warm environment along with a better sight of the place. Finna brushed the dirt off her vest. "Thank you. Now…" she looked around. "Toothless?"

No answer.

 _Typical. He's obviously with Hiccup._

"Blizzard!" Finna shouted.

There was a slight moment that was extremely quiet. Then, Finna heard the trotting of four rather large feet. She looked ahead and saw the familiar Woolly Howl run toward her, nearly pushing her over.

Finna laughed, as she pushed her dragon away. "Okay, I get it. Have you seen Toothless?" she asked.

The Woolly Howl stared at her rider with curiosity, as her blue eyes welled up with admiration. Her tongue then stuck out slightly, and she began to pant happily.

Finna groaned. "Sometimes, you can be rather stupid."

 _Like my brother._

* * *

It was nearly daylight before the small company reached the nest.

Surprisingly enough, Hiccup found himself falling asleep not long after the Valkyrie stopped talking to him. Toothless just... seemed to enjoy flying in the night sky, and Hiccup laid comfortably against the dragon's neck. It was extremely warm there, with (supposedly) Toothless' source of fire came from, and Hiccup felt like he was back at home in his own bed.

 _I could sleep like this all day._

Toothless suddenly shifted under Hiccup, causing him to sit up. Hiccup jolted back up on the saddle, as he shook his head. _What does it take for a guy to get some decent sleep?_ He thought, as he released a slow yawn. In emphasis, he stretched his arms.

"Are we almost there?" he asked, but felt another yawn come crawling in. It came out muffled, and he covered his mouth. "I'm starting to get the impression that you guys hate sleep."

The Valkyrie shook her head. "I will never understand humans."

"Um, aren't you a human?" Hiccup asked. There was another snort from him. "Forgive me… but shouldn't it be _men_ that you'll never understand?"

He might have offended her, because the next moment she had jumped from the Deadly Nadder's back and somehow ended up on Toothless behind him. To make it worse, she inexplicably turned him around and drew a dagger to his neck.

"I don't know why you're doing this, but it's _really_ not funny anymore."

Hiccup chuckled nervously. "I guess you know what humor is, after all…"

The Valkyrie frowned. She pulled away her dagger, and threw it in rope around her waist (which Hiccup assumed was a homemade belt). "You are right, Hiccup. I _don't_ understand men."

"Wait, you know my _name_?" Hiccup asked, astound.

He didn't get an answer from her, because she leaped again, and landed back on her Deadly Nadder. The dragon hissed as the Valkyrie pulled the dragon down to the clouds. Before Hiccup could even process where she had went, Toothless immediately dove in after them.

He sighed. _I have decided that waking up to a dagger is not the best thing to see first thing in the morning._

But how did she know his name?

* * *

Before Hiccup knew it, he was in a cave.

It was incredibly dark, save for the light shining through some ice. There were long icicles hanging down, stretching almost twenty feet long the most. Toothless had to duck just to dodge the long pillars of ice. In addition, the space of the cave was limited to themselves and many dragons on foot.

Toothless landed, as the dragons stared at them in bewilderment and awareness. One dragon with six legs, the one Hiccup couldn't recognize from his last visit, came up to him with a slow grunt and teeth baring at him.

" _Get away from my human!"_ Toothless growled.

Hiccup patted the dragon's head. "Don't worry, but. This dragon won't hurt me."

He closed his eyes, and listened to the other dragons' hisses and growls. If he concentrated hard enough, there would be a possibility that he could understand what they were saying.

" _…must be the One. I heard the King talk about it."_

Hiccup pinched his eyes tighter. _What? A King?_ And did he even hear the dragon correctly? He shook his head. _A trick of the mind._

He listened closely:

 _"No, he is too small to have a Soul."_

 _"But – but he could!"_

 _"I say we eat him up-"_

"Uh.." Hiccup gulped. "P,,Please don't eat me up." There was a groan from behind him. "Look… I don't want to hurt anyone of you." He searched through the crowd, trying to find the Valkyrie. "If you can hear me, Valkyrie, I…"

The six-legged dragon inched closer to him.

Before Toothless could react, Hiccup drew out his sword. He first released a small amount of the Hideous Zippleback gas from the tip of the sword. Toothless immediately stepped back, while the foolish six-legged dragon stared at Hiccup with interest.

Hiccup breathed in. _You can do this, Hiccup. You've done this hundreds of times before._

With a flick, Hiccup released a spark of Monstrous Nightmare saliva, creating a flame of fire. He then lifted the sword, and waved it slowly in front of the six-legged dragon. The dragon's thin pupils suddenly thickened, and followed the flame as though it were in a gaze. It wasn't the only dragon under Hiccup's spell; two other dragons also followed the sword's dance.

Hiccup smiled to himself. _You're mine, dragon._ He then shut the sword off, and held his hand out. Walking slowly to the six-legged dragon, he held his empty hand out, reaching out for the dragon's snout. _If I can tame Toothless, and many other dragons, I can tame this one._

The dragon growled again.

Hiccup closed his eyes, and turned his head away. He allowed all his thoughts escape his mind, and breathed steadily. All his mind would concentrate was on the dragon. His extensions were not his instincts, but the _dragon's_.

In what seemed like an instant, he could feel the dragon's cool scales rest against his hand. He opened his eyes again, and saw the dragon nuzzle his hand gently against his own hand, and even purred against it. Hiccup couldn't help but smile. _This has to be the easiest test ever._

"Stop."

Hiccup raised his head and followed the voice. Not ten feet from him, standing right beside the six-legged dragon, was the Valkyrie, with her axe drawn. Hiccup pulled back from the dragon, and slowly walked back to Toothless.

The Valkyrie raised her axe, and banged it against the ground. A strange noise came from them, and the dragons reacted: they created low flames in their mouths, and illuminated the cave with at least seven dragons' torch-like fires.

Hiccup could only watch them in awe.

Slowly, the Valkyrie laid her weapon down, and walked to the duo. Toothless wrapped his tail around Hiccup protectively, and he snarled at the approaching Valkyrie. Hiccup felt his hand rest on his sword and his nerves spike with fear.

The Valkyrie, not a foot away from Toothless, lifted her hand slightly. Toothless followed it, then somehow closed his eyes and landed flat on his back.

 _So much for the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself,_ Hiccup mused.

If Hiccup was uncomfortable, he would have mentioned it earlier. Rather... he would be saying it right now. But his fear for the Valkyrie (especially since she _knocked out_ his _Night Fury_ ) was growing with every second. _Gods, why did I think I could handle her?_

It wasn't helping that she was trying to touch his face. _Again._

Yet... she also paused.

Hiccup tried to contain his rapid breathing, but it wasn't doing him much good. His heart was beating faster than a Gronkle's wings, and he tried hard to keep his heart from going to a heart attack. The way the Valkyrie stared at him... it was _creepy._ It was though... she was trying to remember him in another life...

The Valkyrie sighed. "So... you really _are_ a Soul of a Dragon."

* * *

 _Oh... and the plot thickens!_

 _Hope you enjoyed this Hiccstrid. And don't worry: this is merely the beginning of the planned Hiccstrid ;)_

 _Please review, and I'll see you soon :)_


	11. The Prophecy of the Souls

_I appologize for the late update. I wanted this up the other day, but then I couldn't log in my account._

 _Hmm... It seemed that no one could during that time either (there were no new updates for almost 24 hours...) I wonder what was up with that?  
_

 _So... as you can see from the title of this... I finally bring in the "prophecy"... well... part of it._

 _I hope you enjoy :) And don't forget to review :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 11: The Prophecy of the Souls_

"He couldn't have gone far!" Valka shouted.

She was now riding on Cloudjumper, her faithful Stormcutter, through a tough blizzard. Luckily, she was wearing a thick coat over her drapes and a hood over her head. As for her husband and Gobber… well... they weren't as lucky.

"Leave it to Hiccup to dive head first into things!" Stoick shouted over the storm. His beard and mustache were now covered in snow, and he wasn't happy. Valka couldn't help but think how adorable he looked – _but he's not in the mood, and our son's missing._

 _Not the best combination,_ she admitted.

"Hmm… I wonder where he gets it from," Valka snickered. "Remember how rambunctious _you_ were at twenty?"

Stoick rolled his eyes. His Rumblehorn, Skullcrusher, seemed to roll his eyes as well, mimicking his rider.

"And he's a Viking," Gobber added, breaking the silence. "I mean, could there be a worse _combination_? Ha! When I think of how stubborn and senseless _you_ were back in the day..." Gobber huffed, realizing his words, "-well, not much has changed, actually."

The Chief glanced over to his wife. "You know what he's like. He won't give up, Val. And if Hiccup finds Drago, before we find him..."

Valka shook her head. "Don't worry, Stoick. He's been in worse situations. And he has Toothless with him-"

"-who happens to be a Night Fury!" Gobber added.

Stoick nodded in agreement. "You're right, Gobber. No one can get through Hiccup without that dragon protecting him." He looked back ahead, through the terrible winds of the storm. "I only wish I knew where he could have went…"

Valka found herself speaking. "Well… that Valkyrie he was talking about… she might have come for him."

Stoick seemed to agree, since he nodded his head and pat Skullcrusher. "Did you happen to find anything to track your son with?"

Valka shook her head, as she pulled out a small stuffed animal from one of her bags. It was a small relic, a tiny dragon she had made for Hiccup when he was born. He kept it in his room on top of a shelf, hiding it from others who might tease him for it. For Valka, it was the first gift she gave her son. _And what a surprise it was… how much he loves dragons..._

"Do you think this will work?" she asked.

Stoick gestured with his hands, and Valka threw the small toy to him. With fast reflexes, he caught the small toy, and reached it down for the Rumblehorn. "Find him, Skullcrusher. Find our son."

The dragon sniffed it contently, then roared, seemingly catching the scent of the rambunctious teenager Valka and Stoick had raised.

 _We just_ have _to find him._

* * *

"Wait!"

The Valkyrie was running through the tight catacombs, without another word. There were twists and turns, yet she leaped through the rocks with grace. She hardly turned around for Hiccup's constant questions, but Hiccup couldn't help but ask them.

"So wait – what do you mean by a Soul of a Dragon?" he asked. "Is it something to do with Toothless?"

"Come quickly!" the Valkyrie could only whisper, as she leaped on another rock.

Hiccup tried to climb over them, but he found with his peg leg (again, _thanks_ Toothless!) that he kept slipping around the slick rocks in the narrowing tunnels. Toothless, with annoyance, pushed Hiccup ahead with his own head to support his rider.

"And I have my own set of questions!" Hiccup added, tripping over a rock. He hit the ground hard, and stumbled to get up. _Great,_ that's _going to leave a mark!_ "Like – how do you know my name? Are you from Berk? Where have –"

The Valkyrie had jumped through a corridor, and seemingly disappeared through it. Hiccup grunted, as he struggled to climb over it. _Can this woman not stay still for ten seconds?!_ Once again, he felt Toothless help him climb the sloped rock. "-you been all this time? And how did you survive?"

He found himself back on his feet, and noticed the grass near him. He pushed through the thinning space of rocks, and saw a bright light. _Finally, no more rocks!_ Walking towards it, he added: "People talked about a girl – a little girl who was taken by-"

Hiccup climbed through the hole and gasped.

In front of him… was the sanctuary.

Hiccup couldn't help but gasp again. The sheer beauty made him feel astounded; the appearance of the nest hadn't changed at all since his last visit (which now felt like years ago). He smiled, as he walked through huddled dragons, including the ones he knew and the kinds he didn't recognize. The ice stayed firm in their huge pillar-like works, keeping the firm geometrical land in place and protected.

The young man stared at the ice more closely. There were spikes from the ice, as though it had been breathed from something rather large. Hiccup gulped, but in amazement. _Like the fort we ran into…_ The trappers' fort had been blasted to bits in ice, the same form in which _this_ place was created in…

Toothless growled.

Hiccup looked up, and saw the Valkyrie perched in a tree not fifteen feet above him. She stared down at him with curiosity, and her Deadly Naddar stood with her, its pupils thick with tameness.

"You… you've been here for seventeen years… haven't you?" Hiccup figured.

Slowly, the Valkyrie nodded.

"So you _are_ from Berk…" he trailed off.

"You don't sound surprised," the Valkyrie noted, as she tiled her head. Hiccup caught how surprised _she_ sounded. _Maybe she thinks that I don't remember her…_

Hiccup shrugged. "Well… it's kind of hard to wrap my head around… knowing that someone in my own tribe had become a crazy… feral… dragon lady." He sighed. "Or a Valkyrie Among Dragons, for that matter."

Without effort, the Valkyrie climbed down the tree. The Deadly Nadder, however, was constantly watching her, as though she would hurt herself. The woman grabbed an axe from her back, and held it to her side. Hiccup sighed in relief. _That Thor it's not_ at _me this time._

"At least I'm not _killing_ you this time," she said, climbing closer to him.

For a moment, Hiccup could've sworn that she was trying to make a joke. But her face was still rather stoic, and he was having a hard time to figure out what she was thinking about him. He shrugged. "I guess there's that _one_ -" a dragon he didn't recognize nuzzled up to him, and he pet the dragon's muzzle "-specific thing."

"Do you… do you like it?" the Valkyrie asked.

Hiccup stared back up at the vast beauty around him. "I – I don't have the words." And he was honest. Now that he had the chance to look around him, and not almost passing out from a lack of air, he actually enjoyed the scenery he was now in.

"So you've had a better look at it?"

Hiccup smiled. "Yea…"

As the Valkyrie watched him, they didn't notice that Toothless had become the centre of attention of not only the three hatchlings Hiccup recalled from his past visit, but now many other dragons. They approached him around in a circle, and started to sniff him. Toothless growled warnings to them (" _Hey! Don't you DARE-"_ ) before he crawled away from them and hid behind Hiccup.

The Valkyrie gestured her hand to Toothless. "Can I…?"

"Sure," Hiccup offered.

She reached her hand for Toothless, as she inched down on her hands in a dragon-like stance. Toothless, surprisingly, came over to her and sniffed her hand. It was almost instantly that he rubbed his head affectionately against her cheek.

Hiccup stared at the two in bewilderment. Was this the same woman whom tried to kill him on the moment of meeting him? He tried to close his mouth, but he lost feeling. _What has gotten into her? Why is she suddenly civil?_

"Oh… he's quite beautiful," she giggled, "I haven't seen a Night Fury this close before in my life…" Toothless purred, and he crawled under her. "He's quite the magnificent creature, you know… and he's-" she counted the trills on his head, "-He's around twenty years old!"

Hiccup grinned. "Whoa…"

She trailed the dragon down, and spotted the tail once again. "Was this from Drago Bludvist?" she asked, solemnly.

Hiccup gulped. _Crap… this again…_ "Well… not exactly. I – uh-"

"Because he's hurt nearly half of these dragons," the Valkyrie explained. "Which is why I had to find you. You see… the King wanted to meet you."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "The _King_?"

"Yes," the Valkyrie said, "The Bewilderbeast, or as I call him, Icespitter." She walked down an apparent path. "Technically, his real name is something else, but he doesn't discuss it that much to anyone."

She led him to the edge of raised natural terrace, overlooking the steamy oasis with its flowing hot spring waterfalls. Half-submerged in the warm lake below, there was a massive white dragon with pronounced, mammoth-like tusks rested benevolently on the banks, his stately countenance like that of a lion surrounded by his pride.

Hiccup stared down at the gigantic beast with his own form of bewilderment. He had never seen anything so... _titanic_ in his entire life! _This dragon… had to be bigger than the Red Death!_

"Most nests have their queens, but this is the king of all dragons," the Valkyrie explained. "He made this nest as a safe haven for all dragons, using his ice breath."

It was though with those words... that it all finally made sense. "Wait! So this is the Icespitter, the one that's been destroying the forts?"

The Valkyrie nodded. "Perhaps. Are you Berk people part of those trappers?"

"No," Hiccup insisted. "I happened to run in with one named Eret or something, but that's all."

A twitch appeared in the Valkyrie's eyes. "That man… he is the reason Drago has all those dragons… He's been trapping dragons for years now, and he" she gulped. "He has dragon powers that I never knew were possible."

Hiccup tried to ignore the sudden fear which the Valkyrie suddenly displayed for this man, and it scared him. _She's not scared of anything… she can't be…_ "So… how does this involve me?" he asked. "And what did you mean by a… _Soul_?"

The Valkyrie sighed, as she glanced down at the sleeping giant. "It is something _he_ should tell you." She glanced up at Hiccup again, but with more fierce in her eyes. "I… _sadly…_ still doubt what he means by it."

"But you trust me enough to tell me," Hiccup assumed.

Surprisingly, the Valkyrie nodded. "You know… you're smarter than you look." She stood up and walked around him, as though she were hunting him. "When he told me that a supposed Dragon Master would come here, I was expecting someone like Drago Bludvist or Eret to come here."

Hiccup frowned. "You were expecting someone bulky and not a…. Hiccup."

Typical. Even with a feral Valkyrie, he couldn't live up to everyone's expectations. Hiccup was tired of everyone having this... idea... that he could please everyone. So what that he didn't want to get married? So _what_ that he wasn't a bulky, dragon-mastering Viking?

The Valkyrie didn't answer.

" _Astrid, did you not tell him?"_

* * *

Finna sighed. "I don't like just waiting around."

Snotlout laughed. "Well, too bad, baby cousin. Because you're not in charge. While Stoick's gone, _my_ dad's in charge."

Tuffnut almost made a barf noise. "'Lout, you'd be lucky if your dad was chosen to be in charge while Stoick wasn't here. Besides,-" he pointed to Finna, "- _she's_ technically second-in-line. She's the Backup Chief."

Fishlegs shrugged. "Too bad that no one cares, Snotlout." He picked out one of his cards. "So, I was thinking that the Gronkle should have an increase of armour, since it can withstand hailstorms-"

"-And then there's the _fire_ factor," Heather added, with a smile. "I've seen Meatlug sit in a fire pit without complaining. So-" she took the card from Fishlegs' hand and grabbed a pencil, "-the armour should increase by two!"

Fishlegs grinned. "Man, you are so clever!"

Finna made a gag noise. "I think I'm going to be sick from all this _gooeyness!"_

"Be thankful you don't have two men gawking at you," Ruffnut grunted, as she folded her arms over her chest. "I'm just happy Heather's here. At least she's distracting _Fishlegs._ "

Finna found herself nodding. For what seemed like months now, Fishlegs and Snotlout went out of their ways to swoon for Ruffnut, and only because she was the only woman their age. _Which goes against traditions of marrying a younger woman…_ Finna cringed. She was just lucky her own _father_ hadn't pushed her to marry yet.

"I hate that we can't try to help Hiccup," Heather admitted, out of the blue.

Finna turned her attention to her; what would have gotten that notion from her? _It's not like Hiccup's in complete danger; Mom and Dad can find him easily. They have Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper, for crying out loud._

Finna sighed, as she stood up and walked over to her future sister-in-law. "What makes you say we can't help him?"

"Your dad," Heather countered. "He'd be mad that we left the island."

The thought hadn't crossed Finna's mind, but she _did_ agree with Heather. The only thing holding the Riders from helping Hiccup was the prime fact that Stoick would have all their heads if they left the island.

* * *

 _"Finna, is Toothless in there?" Valka asked._

 _The seventeen year old shook her head. "No… but I have a feeling it was the Valkyrie who came and took him."_

 _Stoick sighed. "I swear… that boy's going to get us all in trouble." He whistled, and a huge Rumblehorn came up to him. "I'm going to look for him. Val," he faced his wife, "I need you to stay here and be Chief while I'm gone."_

 _"Nice try, but I'm coming with you," Valka interjected. "Besides, Finna can stay and remain Chief."_

 _Finna gasped. "No… I can't. What about Spitelout?"_

 _"I'd put my own daughter before him," Stoick grunted. He turned to face Gobber. "Get Grump ready. We're going to find Hiccup."_

 _"That's my brother you're talking about," Valka insisted, as Gobber grunted and looked for his dragon. With a sigh, Valka added: "But Finna would be a better fit."_

* * *

Finna sighed. Why couldn't she convince others to listen to her, like Hiccup or her parents? They had the words… the motivation to move people. Her words couldn't convince a Terrible Terror to _not_ scavenge for food.

But she had to try.

"If they don't come back by sunrise tomorrow…" she said slowly, "I propose that we leave to find them."

The older teens glanced at her with disbelief. No. It wasn't disbelief; it was outright _terror_.

"You mean…" Fishlegs gulped.

" _Disobey_ Stoick?" Tuffnut asked.

"I think I'd _die_ first," Ruffnut added.

Finna slapped herself in the face. _Again with the convincing…._

"So... you'd rather leave your chief and his wife to die out there, especially when this _Drago Bludvist_ is somewhere out there, and he could have possibly captured them and killed them." She frowned. "Because that's my mother and father, including my brother. Are you willing to let them die?"

The Riders glanced at each other with their heads slightly down.

Finna sighed once more. "Come on, this is our family we're talking about."

* * *

 _Finna stood up. "Mom. Dad. I'm coming to help you find Hiccup."_

 _Stoick placed his hand on her shoulder. "No. You must stay here. A Haddock must always stay on Berk, for the good of the people."_

 _"But Dad-" Finna interjected._

 _"Stay here," Stoick ordered, as he jumped on Skullcrusher's back. "You need to tell everyone that no one leaves the island, or I will know about it."_

 _Finna kept her mouth shut._

 _Valka walked over to her daughter. "Finn… please listen to your father. I know… you're strong-willed, but you need to stay here."_

 _"But my brother needs me," Finna insisted._

 _"It'll be alright, I promise," Valka said. And with that, she left her daughter, and joined her husband on Cloudjumper._

* * *

Snotlout stood up, to the surprise of everyone, and dropped his food. "You know… I dislike Hiccup because he thinks he's better than everyone with dragons-"

"Which is true," Fishlegs interrupted.

"-but I don't want him to die from this… Drago guy," Snotlout added. He glanced down to the ground and whispered, "And Aunt Valka's pretty cool."

Fishlegs stood up as well. "I'm with Snotlout – oddly enough." He grinned. "I say we go save them."

"Do you think someone's gonna die?" Tuffnut asked, as he joined Fishlegs.

"I'd totally save them if blood's involved," Ruffnut added, following her brother.

Heather stood up, standing beside Fishlegs. "Hiccup's a good guy. I don't want to see him die. I'd gladly risk Stoick's orders to see if he's okay."

Finna smiled. _Perhaps I've got some Haddock leadership within me, after all._ "Good. Now that we are all standing up and looking like a bunch of jackasses, I say we prepare our dragons."

The Dragon riders all cheered.

* * *

"What the Hel was _that_?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid had to admit, when the King started to talk, she didn't think that he would be able to understand the dragon speak. And yet… here he was, and Hiccup could understand what the King was saying.

" _Astrid, why did you not tell him?"_

Flametorch sighed. " _Can you not wait five minutes? I was just about to-"_

 _"I heard you clearly enough. You wanted me to tell him myself."_

Busted.

Hiccup, on the other hand, was looking more confused than ever. He kept searching around him, trying to find the _mysterious_ voice. Flame would've felt bad for him, but she was enjoying his confusion _way_ too much.

" _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."_

Hiccup raised his head again. "Uh… yes?"

Astrid sighed. _Humans have no clue, do they?_ Without a second thought, she nudged her head down to the Bewilderbeast, as she in turn bowed her head. Hiccup followed her eyes to the dragon, who immediately stood up and stared down at the human.

" _Hiccup, born to Stoick and Valka of the Haddock flock, you were born with a special soul. A Soul of a Dragon."_ The Beast's mouth did not move, but the sheer power of his mind echoed within the humans' heads with such velocity and rhythm that Hiccup nearly fell down.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked.

" _Many years ago… there was a prophecy, made by the Great Ancestors. They said that there would be two humans, one born with the Soul of a Dragon, and one who would achieve a Soul. These two Souls of Dragons will first unite themselves, then unite the dragons and humans, and vanquish the evils of the world."_

Astrid watched, as Hiccup stared at the dragon with a blank expression. "Uh…"

" _You, Hiccup Dragon Master, are the Born Soul. You have had the soul since the day you left your mother's womb, greeted my former helper Cloudjumer in a dark time, and spared the life of the Night Fury, Toothless, from your own personal gain."_

Hiccup finally found himself having the words to speak, since he asked, "If I'm the so-called _Born_ Soul… who is the other?"

The King smiled. " _This young woman, known as Astrid Flametorch, is the Achieve Soul. She was found by one of my other followers, a young Deadly Nadder named Heavenwings, on the island of Berk. Astrid grew to understand the ways of dragons, and herself has the Soul of one."_

Astrid watched as Hiccup wrapped his head around the situation. For all the things that happened between the two of them, she could somehow understand how he was feeling. She remembered, as a small child, being told of the prophecy. She had been scared, knowing that this was a huge destiny to fulfill, but she somehow convinced herself that she wouldn't do it alone.

Then… she met humans.

She saw how cruel they could be. She witnessed the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of dragons, under the swords and words of humans known as Vikings.

She knew she couldn't trust humans.

And now she _had_ to trust this one.

* * *

"So… why does this affect us now?" Hiccup finally asked.

The Bewilderbeast stared with his giant blue eyes, glimpsing into what felt like Hiccup's soul. " _There is a threat to our nest, a man known as Drago Bludvist. From a distant land, this man has captured our kind and controls them to complete unspeakable tasks."_ With a small sigh, he added: " _I believe that you two can unite by defeating this man and spread peace throughout the Archipelago."_

Hiccup nodded. "So... you agree that we need to stop this man?"

" _Yes,"_ the King said. " _But only if he attacks us. We must protect our own first."_

Somehow, those words made Hiccup feel betrayed. Even this dragon, a dragon who was actually _talking_ to him, said not to engage Drago Bludvist. Unless Hiccup was missing something drastic, like that Drago would _never_ listen to reason, Hiccup didn't see why talking to this man was out of the question.

"Um…" Hiccup suddenly realized something, "What do you mean by…. _uniting_?"

" _Is it not the human custom to join as one?"_ the King asked.

"Well, yes, but that's only in marri-" Hiccup stopped. "Wait… you want me to marry… _her_?"

" _No. In order for two souls to become one, they must join physically, emotionally, and mentally,"_ the King explained. " _From what I see, you two haven't made any progress in becoming at least friends. Your goals and beliefs are very different, but there are similarities."_

"Like what?" the Valkyrie asked, with a growl.

 _No. Her name is Astrid,_ Hiccup told himself.

" _Your love for dragons, for one,"_ the King pointed out, " _You both are fiercely loyal to your tribes, and you want what's best for your kind. You may not realize it, but the only way you two can learn to understand the other is by knowing what side you fight for."_

Hiccup glanced down at the ground. For what the King said… there was some truth. Hiccup didn't want to fight with Drago, if enslaving dragons was his ultimate goal. _And I think Astrid can agree with me._ If the woman was still on the side for saving dragons from enslavement, then she'd be against Drago as well.

 _But she_ still _doesn't trust me._

"The only thing we can do now… is to decide what our best attack is," Hiccup decided.

" _Good_ ," the King agreed. " _Until then… it's feeding time."_

The Deadly Nadder squawked, and rubbed her head against Astrid. In turn, the Valkyrie leaped and jumped on the dragon's back. The dragons around them started to fly in the air, and encircle the King above them.

"Wait… feeding time?" Hiccup asked.

* * *

 _Perhaps I need to stir away from the plot of the second movie... XD_

 _See you soon! :)_


	12. Two Worlds, One Soul

_Again, I apologize for the late update. School and life come first.  
_

 _Oh, speaking of school, I'll be slow on updates for the next little while. I can only promise, at the most, one update within two weeks. I'm going to try to go for updates on Fridays, though._

 _This chapter sort of jumps a lot, but there are lots of promised Hicstrid! :D_

 _Thank you all for supporting this story :) It's already at 10,00 views, 114 follows, 76 favourites and 65 reviews for 11 chapters! Let's aim for 100 reviews before chapter 15 ;)_

 _I'll see you (hopefully) soon :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 12: Two Worlds, One Soul_

The herd moved to the outlands of the island.

Hiccup had to admit, he was scared. The last time he was at a dragon feeding, he watched as a monstrous Red Death ate a whole Gronkle, and a Hideous Zippleback right in front of his eyes. He gulped. _If the Red Death was anything bad… what's the Bewilderbeast like during feeding?_

Hiccup held tight to Toothless, as the dragons followed Astrid and her Deadly Naddar to a vastly open area of water. There was ice surrounding them, but it didn't feel cold. The dragons around them circled around the middle of the water, and Astrid glanced down too.

"Wait… where's the Bewilderbeast?" Hiccup asked. "And aren't we going fishing?"

Astrid pointed down to the water.

Hiccup looked down, with a sense of confusion. _This doesn't explain anything…_ All that he was looking at was the vast openness of the water. It was exceptionally clear, and he could easily see the fish swimming underneath. Not to mention the huge-looking dragon popping up-

The Bewilderbeast jumped from the water, and sprouted fish in the air.

Thousands of fish flew all over the herd. The dragons didn't hesitate to peck at the flying fillet of fresh fish that sprouted in the air. The young man couldn't help but laugh. _Oh!_ He's _feeding them!_

It occurred to Hiccup how different the Bewilderbeast was, compared to the Red Death. For one thing, Icespitter created an ice contraption to protect his herd. In turn, he fed the dragons and they respected him. In contrast, the Red Death hid itself while it ordered its dragons to feed _it._ Hiccup smiled. _While the Red Death's like a queen of bees, Icespitter is a chief._

Toothless immediately dived in, and grabbed what seemed like hundreds of fish in his mouth. He glanced up at Hiccup, seemingly proud of himself. " _Guess how many I have!"_ Toothless snorted through the sloppy fish.

From a distance, Hiccup could have sworn he heard Astrid laugh.

* * *

Finna sighed, as she looked up at the sky.

Already, it was almost sunset, and there was no sign of the older Haddocks. Not to mention that Finna was starting to worry that her family wouldn't make it back to Berk in one piece.

 _And the Valkyrie is still out there…_

The Dragon Riders had already began to pack for the journey ahead, despite the uncertainty of it, and bringing in some of their own dinner along with them. Finna tried to be as discrete as possible, but the older adults were already eyeing them contently. She gulped, as Gothi glared from her hundreds of Terrible Terrors cuddling around her.

"I don't think we can go through with this," Finna whispered to Heather.

Heather was adjusting Windshear's saddle, as Finna packed her axe. "Why?" Heather asked, walking closer to Finna. The two girls ignored the twins' constant arguing on who would control Barf and Belch ("They're the same dragon!" Fishlegs tried to explain), while Snotlout drooled over Ruffnut. "It was _your_ idea to go against your own father's wishes."

"I know, I know," Finna grunted, "I just… feel bad for leaving Berk without someone to lead them."

If she left… the only person left to lead them would be her uncle, Spitelout. She shuttered. _I'd rather ride a pack of warthogs to battle than have him lead Berk._ Well… she knew that Hoark could potentially lead – oh wait, he was in the medic to remove that black goo. _But who else would be qualified to lead Berk-_

Finna eyed a bearded man not ten feet from them.

Swiftly, she walked over to the man and tapped on his shoulder. Although he was much taller than her, she found a way to leap up to get the man's attention. "Uh…"

The man turned around, and smiled down at Finna with a fatherly embrace. "Oh, Finna! Good to see you! How have you been these past few days?"

Finna grinned nervously. "Uh… I'm alright, Beardhead, but I have a question for you."

* * *

"How did you lose your leg?"

Hiccup glanced up, from drawing an extension on his map. He had set it up on a flat surface, perched on a glacier. Toothless had wanted to stop and eat his fish, so Hiccup had taken out his map to add the nest to his map.

He didn't expect Astrid to be watching him.

"Oh…" he looked down at the stump which was now his "leg". "Well… I learned that dragons like to get back at people… and the hard way."

Astrid sat down, and crawled over to him. Hiccup found himself tensing up again, suddenly feeling awkward. She started to poke at his peg leg, not roughly, but with interest.

"How does it work?" she asked, looking up at him.

Hiccup gulped. Her sapphire eyes were filled with curiosity, and they shined brighter than the normal flame he was used to seeing. "Well…" he reached down, and detached the stump from his leg. "This serves as a balance, and for general walking. Then-" he pulled a switch, and the balancer switched to a thin hook "-sticks to Toothless' tail." He shrugged. "It's how we fly."

Astrid took it in her hands and ran her hands all over the contraption. "Wow, this is amazing!" She frowned. "I wish I'd think of this for the dragons without limbs…"

"If you want," Hiccup said, as she handed him the leg back, "I can make artificial legs for the dragons. Or anything they need."

"Why?" Astrid asked, quite suddenly.

 _Why?_ "I… want to help dragons," Hiccup insisted. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. On Berk… we make teeth for those missing for dragons, and there are stables that are completely warm in winter, plus the abundance of food and water in the feeding area…"

"And you did all this?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded. "And everyone on Berk, once they knew how wrong they were about dragons…." he squinted his eyes curiously, "-unless you're still concerned about that."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Why should I care that an island's enslaving dragons?"

"Because whether you like it or not, you have family on Berk," Hiccup explained, "Your birth family's on Berk, and your history's there." He watched her reaction, which did nothing to phase her. "Don't you ever wonder where you came from?"

Astrid didn't answer.

* * *

Beardhead grinned. "Sure thing, Finn. What can I help you with?"

Finna twirled her hands awkwardly. "Well… you see… I sort of need you to…" She swallowed hard. "To… lead Berk while I'm gone."

Beardhead frowned. " _You_? But where's Stoick? Is he not here?"

"That's my other point," Finna said rather quickly, "He went out to find my brother, with Mom and Gobber."

The much larger Viking sighed, as he paced around in a circle. "You want me to keep an eye on the village while you see what's keeping your parents up?"

"Exactly!" Finna said, trying to ignore the daunting feeling of ignoring her parents' wishes.

It seemed, for a few moments, that Finna wouldn't have the ability to leave Berk. She couldn't help but notice that Beardhead had tugged at his beard thoughtfully, and wouldn't answer. And it scared Finna. _He_ has _to understand why we have to do this…_ she thought. _From a chief to another…._

Beardhead sighed. "I… suppose I could watch Berk for a couple hours."

Finna grinned. _Nice, Finn. Great job._ "You know… I can't wait for Heather to be part of the family."

* * *

The young man shook his head. "Look, if you don't, that's fine-"

"Of course I did," Flametorch snapped. "I wondered about it for most of my life."

Hiccup didn't say anything, so she continued. For some reason, she needed to yell it out, to release all her anger. She felt that she had kept it unsaid for too long. "I wondered, for my entire life, why my parents never bothered to find me… I wondered every night why I wasn't worth the damn to be searched for. I wondered why, someone like me, should _ever_ belong in a world like _this_!"

Hiccup backed away from her. The last word in her sentence seemed to echo in her own mind. "Look… I don't think your parents did that on purpose-"

She almost wanted to rip his stupidly large hairy head from his body. _Stupid human…_ Flame yelled again, and grabbed her axe. "And because of that, I grew up not knowing where I belonged!"

Without another thought, she took her axe and started hitting the ice. "They left me! They didn't love me! I was alone! I was all alone!" With every hit, the words grew truer by the stroke; each pound left a mental mark in her mind.

"Astrid-"

"No!" She stared at Hiccup, with the most hatred she had ever mustered. He had no right, no _right_ to calm her down! "You have _no_ _idea_ how it feels, to be alone in a whole family, where you don't belong! You've never been the weird kid, who couldn't do what everyone else could! You've never been-"

" _Useless_?" Hiccup assumed.

Astrid stopped.

There was a moment, a long moment, where neither of them said anything. Astrid could feel her anger subside, even for a few seconds. Her eyes couldn't turn away from Hiccup's face, the same look of doubt she only could relate to. The same look of loneliness that she felt for seventeen years.

When she didn't say anything, or think of anything coherent enough to say, the boy continued: "You're wrong, you know," he said. "I _do_ know what it feels like to be alone. I was a hiccup my entire life. I couldn't life a hammer. I couldn't throw an axe... not like everyone else. I thought, for most of my life… I didn't _belong_ on Berk."

Astrid watched as Hiccup winded up his flight suit, and sat down beside Toothless. "It was only when I found him… when I almost killed him… that I realized that being different wasn't a bad thing." He patted the dragon's head. "Actually, it was because of him that I – or _we_ – stopped the war between dragons and humans. I noticed that he was scared. Like _me."_

For a split second, Astrid didn't know what to do. Her entire perspective of Hiccup, this Dragon Master who could control dragons, was really less confident that what he appeared to be. He… didn't kill the Night Fury because… well, he was afraid. He was _different._

 _Perhaps he and I are more alike than I thought._

She sighed, and walked over to Hiccup.

"Look… I'm not good on the whole… _human_ thing."

"I got that," Hiccup said, sarcastically.

"And… I'm sorry." She bit her lip. "I… I'm sorry for… attacking you… and not believing in you. Now I'm asking… for a second chance." She swallowed. _Damn, why does the King always have to be right?_ "Will you… give me another chance?"

There was a pause from the young man. Astrid was almost positive that Hiccup wouldn't forgive her, or say anything for that matter. Why would he, anyway? She insulted him, and she didn't deserve an answer. And it made her stomach cringe as she waited for Hiccup's answer.

Hiccup finally gave her a small smile, and nodded.

For some reason, she found herself looking back at him. Particularly, she noticed that she actually _cared_ about his opinion.

Astrid smiled. _Perhaps this Hiccup isn't as bad as I thought._

* * *

"Where are we going?!" Fishlegs asked.

Finna rolled her eyes. "Does it matter?"

"Yea, since we're flying aimlessly to a place we don't even know where Hiccup, Stoick and Astrid are," Tuffnut said.

Not that Tuffnut wasn't wrong (which, in fact, he usually _was_ ), but Finna's perspective of the situation was not now she would have described it. Sure… the Riders (including Heather) were hundreds of miles away from Berk, and perhaps mere feet from the freezing waters of the Archipelago… and not to mention that Finna had no possible idea on where her family was…. Then…. _Tuffnut_ might _have a point…._

But Finna was a Haddock, and she would _never_ admit to anything. "Oh, shut it, Tuff," she grunted.

Heather flew Windshear close to Blizzard. "I think we need a plan, Fin. Where do you think your parents would have gone?"

"I think Mom must have brought something with Hiccup's scent, to track Hiccup with," Finna explained, without having to think twice, "-but if they've been captured, then we can't know for sure."

Heather nodded.

Finna had to admit, this _was_ a rather good plan, but the uncertainty of it made her feel uneasy. What if Drago _did_ capture them? It would be pointless to look for Drago, if they had no idea where this man was hiding. _And the Valkyrie won't tell us… but she might not know, either…._

"Unless we split up," she said.

The Dragon Riders stared at Finna with uncertainty.

"Uh, I'm not going anywhere without my brother," Ruffnut said.

Tuffnut groaned. "You're such a moron. You can't leave Barf defenseless!"

The twins hadn't noticed that Hookfang had flown beside Barf and Belch. "I'm going wherever my princess goes," Snotlout said, as he grinned stupidly at Ruffnut.

Ruffnut punched Snotlout without hesitation.

"But I don't have a tracking dragon, and there's no point going back to Berk," Finna insisted.

Heather suddenly smiled. "But Drago might have some…."

Finna gaped, then grinned. "Oh, you are _evil_ , sister!"

* * *

The Dragon Riders came up to a beseeched area of ice, within a terrain of endless glaciers. From where Finna flew, she easily could see the distinctive ship with a banner of a dragon on the mask of the ship. _Good… I've got you now, Eret,_ she chuckled to herself. Eret's ship was beset by ice floes.

The crew stirred on deck, as though they were unsure of the next move. Finna assumed that the men were few of dragons, and from what Eret told her about Drago… _He's not going to be impressed with the lack of dragons._

"Do we go back?" Teeny asked.

Eret rolled his eyes, as he paced the deck longer. "We've nowhere to go! Nothing to sell! And no heads to call our own, if we don't turn up with dragons and fast-"

Finna smiled, as Blizzard swept in and held on Eret. "Careful what you wish for!" she shouted.

Eret screamed, and glanced all around him. "What the Hell is this?!" he shouted.

"A _kidnapping_ , duh!" Finna laughed. "Or, I would have said a _man_ -napping, but you're not _exactly_ a man, are you?"

"I'd be mad for insulting me," Eret growled, "But I have a -Hey!" he shouted, as Ruffnut grabbed his leg.

"Oh, can he ride with me? Can he? _Can_ he?" she asked, possessively.

Finna rolled her eyes. _Desperate._ "Look, you're going to take us to Drago."

"And help dragon riders sneak into Drago's camp?" Eret asked. He groaned. "Just kill me now."

Finna smiled, looking over to Heather. "Oh, _that_ can be arranged. Blizzard, drop!"

Blizzard made a noise, which sounded similar to a cackling sound, and she released Eret. Finna smiled when she heard Eret scream for his life, as he plundered closer to the freezing water below.

"Good girl, Bliz!" Finna said, as she scratched her dragon's ear. "Now, fetch!"

The Woolly Howl dived down to the plummeting dragon trapper, and Finna watched Eret holler something like _"Okay! I'll take you to Drago!"_ while he inched closer to the water. Luckily, Blizzard caught Eret at the last moment and she swooped up to catch him.

"Oh, you're rather sneaky, you know that?" Heather said, still chucking from the event that just occurred.

"Works _every_ time," Finna chuckled.

* * *

Hiccup has his map spread out in the snow again, explaining the various lands he's discovered during his explorations. "And from Dragon Island, I found this archipelago..."

He looked up to see that Astrid was no longer next to him, but she has sketched out the rest of the northern land masses in the snow. The lands stretched out in larger masses, much larger than Hiccup could ever imagine. He smiled, in total awe. _She must have_ really _traveled during her years here…_

Astrid returned to Hiccup's side with a smile. But their amazement was interrupted by Toothless joining in, drawing all over Asrtid's map with a giant icicle. Toothless grinned happily, and tried to spit out the ice. He shook his head, but the ice hung low from his tongue. " _Uh… Hiccup! I'm stuck!"_

 _"Males,"_ Stormfly grunted.

Hiccup simply shrugged, as Astrid giggled.

* * *

Astrid and Hiccup rose on their dragons, carried skyward by a strong coastal wind that thrusts vertical up shoreline cliff.

One by one, dragons leap from the cliff and catch the strong updraft, popping their wings open like kites. They rode the wind and orbited around each other in a colorful, mesmeric dance _. It's clearly a form of dragon play_ , Hiccup thought to himself, with a smile on his face.

Hiccup, lifted off of his saddle by the force of the wind, laughed giddily as he watched Astrid walked across Stormfly's wing and onto several others, dragon-hopping from one to another, until she gracefully crossed Toothless from wing tip to wing tip.

She then dropped out of sight, reappearing a moment later standing atop Stormfly. Astrid sighed, as she breathed in the frigid air. "When I'm up here, I don't even feel the cold. I just feel..."

The young man nodded. "Free."

Hiccup gleamed at Astrid. For one of the first times in his life, he felt that he had someone to understand him. _And she has the same Soul as me… of a dragon._

She smiled at Hiccup.

The smile almost didn't register with Hiccup. He blinked, but she had looked away. _Wait… did she just smile at me?_ He smiled to himself. _Maybe I_ am _making a difference on her…_

Astrid stood up on Stormfly, and extended her arms out, not caring for the appearance of the dirt under her arms. The grin on her face was proof enough. "This is what it feels to be a _dragon_!" Astrid shouted.

 _Amateur._ "You know… it's all fun to call yourself a dragon." Hiccup stood up himself, and pressed a button on his flight suit. The fin on his back sprung out, sticking out like a dragon's fin. "But can you fly?" he asked, with a mischievous smile.

Hiccup suddenly ran off Toothless, pulling his stowed wings. The wings catch the air, snapping open... and sent him gliding.

He could hear Astrid gasp from above him, obviously astonished. She flies her dragon alongside him, her eyes never leaving his sight. Hiccup smiled again, feeling the currents of the air tickle his face and run through his hair. _Astrid…_ this _is what it feels to be a dragon._

Hiccup soared, riding the wild air currents like an eagle, the image of freedom. Toothless descended steadily with him, hovering protectively. Hiccup grinned one more time, pleased at having impressed Astrid ( _finally!)_ …

-until he realized that he was racing toward a collision with a fast approaching mountain top.

"Oh no. Toothless!" Hiccup called out.

Toothless cried out, " _I'm coming, Hiccup!"_ in a panicked tone. But, with his tail locked, Toothless couldn't make the tight jackknife turn skyward to rescue Hiccup. _And I'm starting to regret not making it adjustable!_ Hiccup screamed in his mind.

"Hiccup!" Astrid called out.

She and Stormfly poured on the speed. All four of them collide just as they reach the mountain top, sending them crash-landing in an explosion of snow. They all toppled head over tail to a messy landing on the windswept ridge and pop up laughing.

Astrid laughed, as she walked over to Hiccup. "Whoa!" she awed, as she touched the suite. "You made this?"

"Yep. Took me a few tries, but it finally works okay." He tightened the spring in his suit. "Although that stiff tailfin makes for some sloppy maneuvers."

Toothless seemed to be offended by the comment, because he flicked his tail and Hiccup found himself buried under snow.

Astrid pulled him out, and brushed the snow off his suit. "You know… I learned some things from the dragons. You know…. like hidden secrets and stuff." She walked over to Toothless, and pressed firmly on the tip of his neck where it met the dragon's back. Suddenly, the spikes on his back extended out in longer fins.

"Now you can make those tight turns."

Toothless stared at the fins for a moment, and suddenly smiled his toothless grin. He jumped in the snow and tunnelled through it, making tight turns in the snow. He popped back up and showed Hiccup by clapping them together.

Hiccup gaped at the fins, and touched them lightly. "Whoa… this is amazing! Did you know about this, bud?"

Astrid smiled. "Every dragon has its secrets." Toothless pounced around, showing off to Stormfly, who seemed thoroughly impressed. "And I'll show them all to you. We'll unlock every mystery, find every last species, together, as…" she paused, "-as Souls of Dragons."

Hiccup found his smile grinning bigger and bigger. _This_ was what he wanted; someone who understood his love for dragons, and loved dragons as much as he did. And he actually had a lot of common with said person. _Maybe the King has a point._

The strangest feeling came over him. For some reason, he found himself taking action and not thinking. Well, he was thinking, but only one word came to his mind: _Astrid._

He hugged her.

* * *

The hug didn't, at first, register with Astrid.

She hadn't been hugged by another human since… well, she was a child. And even then… she couldn't remember the warmth from another human pressing against her, or even wrapped around her. Being with dragons for almost eighteen years, she was used to wearing stolen clothing and trying to warm up against scaly dragons for comfort. Or any form of warmth.

But this hug….

Something about a dragon hug and a human hug differed greatly. For dragons… they hugged their children as a sign of protection and warmth. It was all Flametorch was used to. She grew up with only dragons as comfort. Heavenwings always hid Stormfly, Flametorch, Treeback and Boomer under her large, protective wings against snowstorms and harsh weather. And she only hugged them to keep them warm.

Astrid had felt herself tense the moment Hiccup wrapped his arms around her. What was she supposed to do? Her first instinct was to hit the man off her, and beat him senselessly. Well, a dragon would have done that. And the dragon within Astrid, Flametorch, would have done that… especially last year.

Yet… she found herself hugging him back.

And she liked it; for some reason, she enjoyed feeling Hiccup's small arms wrapped around her. Although they were thin… there was a sense of strength and protectiveness within them. She felt her instincts relax, as she sighed in his shoulder. Could she simply stay here, in his warmth forever?

She only wished so.

Hiccup, sadly, pulled away and smiled the biggest grin she had ever seen on his face. And he _did_ grin a lot that day. "This is great, then! You can come back to Berk, and you can see for yourself how different Berk is!"

His words woke her up.

"Wait… Berk?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "You know, like what the King said. We should understand each other, so I think you should see how much Berk's changed."

Astrid found herself hesitating. "Hiccup…"

"There's a dentistry that we have for dragons, and for those who have injuries? We've got prosthetics for them-"

"Hiccup," Astrid tried to interrupt.

"Oh! And we have this huge nest for all the dragons to live in!" Hiccup said. Toothless, beside him, clapped his dorsal fins together. "Right, and there's this place where the dragons go during Snoggletog, where they have their babies-"

"I'm not going to Berk," Astrid said, simply.

Hiccup paused. He looked up at her, with confusion. "Wait… why not?"

For some reason, she couldn't find the right answer to his question. _And I don't know if it's because I can't answer this either…._ "I can't," she said, simply.

"But-" Hiccup shook his head. "I though the King wanted us to bond."

Astrid sighed. "Hiccup… I… I don't know how to work with… humans."

The King had been right; Astrid had no idea how to interact with other humans. Hiccup was the only exception merely because he was both a Soul of a Dragon and a stubborn ass. And that he believed that he could get through to her. _To which it worked,_ Astrid commented to herself. But she knew that she had to interact with humans, in order to understand them better. _But I must first trust this human, if I can work with him._ How could she turn her back on this whole _prophecy_ when the King himself was desperate to have both Souls of Dragons working together?

"Well…" Hiccup placed a hand on her shoulder, tenderly, "Let me show you." He smiled. "I can teach you how to live amongst humans, like how you showed me with dragons."

The way he put it, Astrid felt that she could trust Hiccup. And she really wanted to. There were so many factors showing that she _would_ trust him. He proved that he wasn't like the other humans; he was a Soul of a Dragon. He was close with his dragon, no doubt.

But there was something _still_ ….

"C'mon, Astrid," Hiccup urged, "I've been nothing but honest with you. What makes you think I can't be trusted?"

Astrid sighed. _I'm sorry, my King._

"How did Toothless _really_ lose his tail?"


	13. Something Old, Something New

_Are you guys mad that I haven't updated this story in forever?_

 _I'm finally on a break this week, so I had the chance to update this. I hope you'll like it; there's some more Hiccstrid, including more about the Bewilderbeast (I decided to add some backstory for him to explain some of his aspects….). As for Finna and the other riders… well, let's say I made a drastic turn of events ;)_

 _Anyway… I hope you will enjoy this_ _J_ _. Please review and tell me what you think_ _J_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 13: Something Old, Something New_

Hiccup gulped. The one, the only one thought he really didn't want to discuss… _and she wants me to tell her…_ He knew that Astrid was no longer trying to kill him (perhaps not intentionally), but she still was quite feral. Not to mention that she spent most of her life trying to help dragons. _Seventeen years would do that…_

"Well, you see, uh" he gulped again, as Toothless continued to play with his dorsal fins. " _I'm_ the one who actually… shot him down."

Astrid folded her arms, showing no sign of anger against him. "Typical of humans."

Toothless rubbed his head against Hiccup's torso affectionately. " _Don't worry. I forgive you, Hiccup."_ He smiled his toothless grin at Hiccup. " _I got you back, eh?"_

"Oh, he _definitely_ got me back," Hiccup said, patting Toothless playfully. "You couldn't save all of me from that Red Death, could you?" The dragon nudged him again.

"Red Death?" Astrid asked, raising his eyebrows.

Toothless smiled brighter this time. _Go on there, Hiccup. Tell them how you lost your leg._

"Yea, she was a huge leviathan class dragon, part of the Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus," Hiccup explained quickly, darting her growing stare and Toothless' humorous eyes, "but my uh… father… decided to use Toothless as a way to find the nest, which got me and my sister to round up the younger Vikings to save him and the other adults. Then… Toothless and I worked together to stop the Red Death." He smiled, and pat Toothless. "She hit us with her tail, and I fell off Toothless… so…"

He held his footless leg. "-peg leg!"

Astrid smiled a little. "I assume that your father was one of those… killing Vikings?"

"Yea, but then he changed," Hiccup said. He had to admit: Astrid took the news to the " _truth_ " better than he thought. He thought he would have ended up as _dragonbait._ "Everyone on Berk realized how loyal dragons are, and they started riding them."

There was a longer moment of silence between the two. Hiccup was somehow reminded of once, when he was younger, when he saw Toothless for the first time. Well… more like the _second_ time; Toothless had titled his head slightly at the sight of him, as though he remembered him. As for Hiccup… well… he remembered how intimidated and scared he felt.

And yet… like in this moment… he wasn't _all_ that afraid. Oh… and not to mention that he wasn't facing a feral dragon this time. _But she might as well pass as one…_ was his cautious thought.

"Hiccup…" she said, with some caution in her voice. "How are the dragons… treated?"

The young man shrugged. "Like I said… we treat our dragons much better than we have, say, five years ago. Everyone soon…" he hesitated. "- _acquired_ a dragon, and learned how to take care of them. It took some time, but now everyone's taking care of dragons and treating them as…" he stopped, trying to find the right word to use to describe his relationship with Toothless. _Especially_ Toothless.

"Pets?" Astrid guessed.

"No. _Equals_ ," Hiccup corrected.

There was another moment of silence that swept between them. Although they had spent most of the day together, there was much that they actually _didn't_ know about the other. Hiccup found himself petting Toothless, as awkward as it was, and tried not to eye her. And yet, there was still one shaking thought that still dawned on him.

"Do you remember your human parents?" he asked.

Astrid nodded. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How come you were so willing to trust me?" she asked. "I have done nothing but _not_ trust you. I've been terrible to you." She rubbed her arms. "Why?"

Hiccup didn't know how to answer. "Well... maybe because I saw how alone you are. I mean… you're a human living amongst _dragons._ Heck, I would have been in my _element_ if I lived here." He glanced around him, indicating the wild plants and the grazing dragons surrounding them. "I… I've never felt so… _close_ … to feeling like I…"

Astrid didn't move. "Belonged," she finished easily.

Hiccup nodded. There was no other word he could use to describe it. He tried not to grin too stupidly. _We_ do _have a lot in common._ "You know… I wanted to leave Berk, too."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "You _did_?" she asked, surprised. She paused. "What changed your mind?"

Hiccup laughed. "It's kind of funny, really. I wanted to leave because… well… I couldn't kill a dragon." He patted Toothless again. "No. I _wouldn't_ kill a dragon."

Astrid stayed silent. "But you were the first from Berk to ride one, though. So why didn't you kill Toothless?"

Hiccup thought back to not too long ago, when Heather asked him the same question. Even with Finna who asked him five years prior. "I guess I didn't because he was as scared as I was. I saw him… and I saw myself. He… was scared. _Alone_."

Astrid blinked. "You were alone."

"Well… my dad wanted me to be a dragon killer. He…" Hiccup shook his head. "In my father's mind– er, what he used to believe – if you aren't a fighter, then you aren't a Viking." He shrugged again. "As for my sister… she was all dragon killer. Mom… she didn't want anything to do with dragon killing. Sure… she tried to talk my dad out of sending me to the arena, but she mostly hid during all that training."

"How can humans be so cruel?" Astrid asked. "At least dragons are loyal to those they trust. What a horrible life to live… knowing that you were never apart from something."

Hiccup raised his head slightly. "Didn't you feel like that?" he asked.

"Sometimes. But I knew that I had Heavenwings and Stormfly as my family." A small grin spread across her lips. "It's funny. When I first learned how to speak the Viking tongue, I was sure that I would never belong, and then he came in-"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "He?"

Astrid paused. "It's nothing."

Hiccup stepped closer. For some odd reason, her hesitance to trusting humans somehow caused him to think ahead. Could this… _guy…_ if it was a human male that she was even talking about… be the reason that she couldn't trust humans? The reason for her not wanting to trust Hiccup, or wanting to leave to go to Berk?

Because if it was, it finally made _sense._

"Astrid… did…"

However, he never had the chance to finish.

She was gone.

* * *

Blizzard dropped Eret hard on the snow.

"Okay, I took you to Drago's base, now let me go!" Eret whispered with aggression. He stood up with a jagged step, but Blizzard immediately landed on top of him. "Ooph! Get this _thing_ off me!"

Finna rolled her eyes. "You know, for a dragon trapper, you are completely _clueless_ about dragons."

"Never take a toy from a dragon," Heather said, nudging Finna playfully. "Don't you know _anything_?"

Finna smiled, as she reached up for her hammer as she heard Eret groan " _Why does this always happen to me?"_. She stepped closer to the towering snow bank, and peered down to the water. All around were ships, a shipyard full of men preparing weapons and traps? They all seemed to encircle one particular area, where bubbles were forming from the water.

"What in the name of _Woden_ …?" Heather gasped.

Snotlout shook his head. "What the hell is _that_?"

Finna gulped. _Where's Hiccup when you_ really _need him?_ She looked up at Fishlegs. "Can you tell what is it down there?"

"Hmm… there seems to be…" Fishlegs pulled out his cards and shuffled through them, "large diameter bubbles… which means expandable lungs… I'm going with a Class 5 Leviathan…" He shrugged.

"Shouldn't you factor the increasing air flow? No dragon, even a water type, could hold their breath longer than a few minutes," Heather pointed out. "And from what I can tell from the waves, this thing's been under water for _quite_ some time."

Fishlegs nodded. "Class _Six_ , then."

Finna felt scared suddenly. The last time they came across something _this_ big was when Hiccup faced the Red Death merely five years ago. _Could it be another large dragon?_ She wondered. Finna wasn't a dragon geek or anything, but no one in the Barbaric Archipelago has ever come across anything bigger than the Red Death before. _And if isn't a dragon… then what the hell could it be?_

Tuffnut rolled his eyes. "I'm going out on a whim here… we're here on some lame mission that doesn't involve killing anyone?"

Finna didn't answer. Her eyes were back on the ships, looking for someone that matched her father's description of Drago Bludvist. All her mind could do was picture a man with a large stature, similar to Stoick the Vast. Yet, she couldn't seem to point anyone out. If he was definitely here… then he wouldn't have hid, would he? Someone who had hid from the Barbaric Archipelago for nearly twenty years would have been a more predominant hider, right?

 _Unless this isn't where Drago_ really _is…_

"Guys…" Finna stood up. "Get back to your dragons."

Heather's hand grasped her sword. "Why, Finna? Is there something-?"

The dragons suddenly growled in pain, and simultaneously fell to the ground, unconscious. The riders immediately went to their respected dragons, trying to find the source of the sudden fainting. Finna's eyes darted to the snowbanks, where hooded figures came up and held staffs in the Riders' direction, as they also held blow darts.

 _Crap…._

"Blizzard, get out!" Finna shouted. The dragon must have understood her, because she burrowed herself in the snow and disappeared from sight. The Riders tried to go after their fallen dragons, but the men in fur held their weapons up and surrounded them. Fishlegs immediately held his hands up in surrender, his dragon cards flying in the air.

Eret pushed himself up, and held his hand up. One of the camouflaged men threw him a sword, to which he caught gracefully. "Now… you're coming with us." He gestured to one of the men. "Grab their weapons, and tie them up."

Finna frowned at him, as one of his men grabbed her hammer, and bonded her with rope. Fury ran in her blood as the man cuffed her, and if looks could kill, Eret would be a dead man at that second.

"Drago's not here," she assumed, although suddenly feeling no surprise. _Of course he tricked us…._ She glared at Eret again, secretly praying to the gods or whatever deity that existed would give her the power to kill Eret with her stare.

Eret smirked, as he pointed his dagger to the Dragon Riders. "I _do_ know something, Finna Haddock: it's that you're a pain in my _ass_."

* * *

It was some hours later when Astrid realized that she hadn't talked much.

She couldn't help it, really. She had been watching Hiccup interact with the dragons throughout that time, and she distracted herself (supposedly) by fixing her arrows while stationed inside her tree. The dauntless thought of Hiccup with dragons was no longer disturbing on her part… but the similar connections between him and Astrid were, well, _clear._

 _Icespitter_ was _right,_ she thought. _We_ are _connected._

Stormfly's children had gotten back up and started to play around Hiccup again. They watched him as he enacted his fire sword, something he called _Inferno_. Astrid smiled as the hatchlings caused him to trip over his one leg and covered him in glossy kisses.

However, Hiccup played alongside them.

Astrid sighed. Her instincts told her to be wary of this man. He _was_ a human, and raised by dragon-killing ones at that. And from what he had told her in terms of the _killing_ part.. The Vikings did it for the sake of _sport_. The mere thought of all of it made her cringe in disgust. How could Vikings, from what she had seen, killed dragons all her seventeen years living amongst dragons. It was the one thing that kept her awake at night, along with the thought of being rejected by her supposed _parents._

But somehow, the thought of Icespitter's words contradicted her beliefs. Hiccup was here, and he wasn't hurting the dragons. And the Night Fury seemed to love him unconditionally. The two of them appeared to have a strong, brother-like bond. It reminded her of her _own_ bond with Stormfly.

The Night Fury, whom Astrid found out that his name was _Toothless_ (this legendary _Dragon Master_ named his rare dragon _Toothless_ , of all things…), seemed to growl jealously at Hiccup. _They're not as cute as me,_ he grunted. She couldn't help herself but chuckle. Although Night Furies were rare for her, she felt that they were more human than the rest of the dragons. _Maybe that's why they're easier to capture._

 _You don't believe that. But_ he _did._

Astrid stopped sharpening.

That boy… she stopped thinking about him a long time ago. It was a painful memory, one that she thought she had rid of. But… being with Hiccup more and more brought him up. There were no physical similarities between the two, but Astrid saw one distinctive one: their obsession with dragons.

And she felt terrified by that.

It was one summer not too long ago. She was naïve then; he brought in as a suitable human mate. She was certain that he was the Other Soul that the Bewilderbeast had spoken about, but the dragon made no confirmation. Astrid made the mistake in introducing herself… to which he tricked her. He taught her more than just the words of the Vikings…

He taught her that humans were untrustworthy.

She blinked, trying to keep the tears from escaping. _No. He's just a boy. He didn't mean anything to you,_ she tried to tell herself. She tried to convince herself that he was nothing to her. That she _wasn't_ affected by what he did. But… he hurt her.

Suddenly, her senses flustered.

Astrid stood up, nearly forgetting everything about _him,_ and grabbed the closest weapon near her (which happened to be her axe, although her bow was close too). Jumping from the tree, she landed gracefully on the ground and ran over to Hiccup.

"Get your firesword out!" she whispered frantically through her teeth.

Hiccup jerked his head up from his map and raised an eyebrow. "It's not a firesword. It's Inferno." He stood up and grabbed it. "Wait… do you think they're Drago's army?" His hand went to his sword, but it wasn't there.

She shook her head. "No. Only three, and they come with dragons."

He nodded. "What do you want me to do, then?"

* * *

Astrid glanced up at the glaciers. "Stay here. If they come, we need someone to defend Icespitter."

Hiccup nodded in confirmation. He watched as Astrid ran to Stormfly and hiked on her back, flying within the branches. Some of the other dragons stirred uneasily, while others continued to follow each other in the heist.

Toothless groaned worriedly as Hiccup grabbed Inferno from his saddle. " _Where is Stormfly going?"_ His nose lifted in the air.

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know, bud. But we need to be here when the intruders come in." He looked down to the ground, and pinned up his flight suit. "I feel stupid, though. I… _we_ can't just wait around here and wait for Drago to attack this place. _If_ he even knows where this place is." A part of him hoped that Drago didn't know about this place. _This_ sanctuary was the perfect home for dragons.

 _Astrid made sure of that._

 _"Yes, she did."_

Hiccup raised his head and faced the towering dragon behind him. The icy breath was chilling down his back.

The young Viking grinned. "I'm going to need time to get used to that."

" _Indeed, it will,"_ the Bewilderbeast chuckled. " _Many dragons find the controlling unappealing, which is why I only resort to telepathy."_

"Controlling?" Hiccup asked. "You mean like how the Red Death controls its nest?"

" _If by the Red Death that you are referring to as a Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, then yes. However, unlike the queens, we do not force the dragons to do our bidding. We aren't as… demanding."_ The gigantic dragon released a low growl. " _Although you must be familiar with the Queen… since you conquered one."_

Hiccup chuckled nervously. "I was… trying to protect my family." Thoughts of his parents, Finna, and the rest of Berk flashed through his mind.

" _To be completely honest, I have not heard of a human who has both befriended a dragon and defeated another."_ He sighed. " _My ancestors once told me that dragons and humans once co-existed, but both had no current knowledge of the other. That is… until the King of the Wilderwest came."_

"Wilderwest?" Hiccup repeated. "And who is this _King?_ "

" _You Vikings refer to it as the Archipelago, if I'm not mistaken. You see, when the humans first migrated to here, the dragons had already established one tribe in the Wilderwest; it was here when humans started taking over the islands and forced our kinds to remote lands within the Wilderwest._

 _"As for this King… he was, supposedly, the first king. He went by other names, of course, but he didn't take the liking to dragons. He was known as Dragon Slayer, and he brought the rift between the humans and the dragons. This rift split the dragons up, sadly, especially between the Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus and the Bewilerbeasts. It didn't help that the dragons were soon hunted for sport, under the King's rule."_

Hiccup gaped. "So… this is why there are so few of you guys…."

" _Including the Night Furies, I will add,"_ Icespitter explained. " _I noticed it when you and Flametorch bowed; while Stormfly bowed without hesitation, your Night Fury appeared to be resisting it."_ He sighed again. " _The Night Furies never trusted us; it's because they are nocturnal, the embodiment of the Night, while Bewilderbeasts are the Day."_

Hiccup nodded. "Yea… Toothless hated being under the control of the Red Death, too. I don't think he liked it." He always speculated that Toothless left the nest because he didn't liked being controlled as the other dragons were.

" _The Alpha species were known to control dragons, but we soon learned to use it for the nest's protection, not for our gain. We see it as that if we lose the trust of our tribe, we lose them all together. It is partly the reason why we never fight each other."_

"Wait. Are you saying you can lose your nest?" Hiccup asked, more surprised than confused. He hated to admit it, but he didn't know that dragons could easily lose their nests, even dragons the size of Bewilderbeasts.

Icespitter nodded. " _It's not common, but if two leaders fight one another, the winning dragon holds in both his tribe and the opponent's tribe."_ He chuckled. " _Of course, this is seen in any dragon nest; and I've heard it from Vikings as well. However, I am not entirely worried about my position; I have fought my brothers and sisters for this title eons ago, and I have not come across another Bewilderbeast since."_

"How come it's your brothers and sisters?" Hiccup asked. He wasn't sure why, but the way the King spoke… it drew him in more and the questions kept coming. "For Vikings, we inherit our titles as chief once our current either retires or dies."

" _We can't exactly compete with our parents if they are already weak, now can we? And we aren't around other Bewilderbeasts either to compete,"_ the Bewilderbeast said, with humor in his thought. " _When I hatched, I was surrounded by other eggs, and my father's body laid weakly near us. I was scared, frightened, as I waited for my siblings to hatch. There are probably hundreds of eggs laid, but only fifteen hatched from what I remember. Once we were all hatched, our father taught us the history of our kind, how we should lead, and some of his own wisdom. Then, we compete for the title of Alpha._

 _"Sometimes, the fights went on for days. It didn't mean death entirely, but some were so weak that they returned to the sea where they could live out the rest of their lives. However, I was particularly strained because I, along with my brother, were the last ones left. I had grown to love him the most because he was nearly my size and shared my viewpoints._

 _"Then, it came to the night to when I had to fight him. I talked to my father, who was near his time to pass. He told me of his vision, that humans and Vikings would reunite with one another, and that two Souls of Dragons would truly unite us. I had asked for more details, but he assured me that years of guidance and leadership would be my teacher and that I would know of his riddles once I saw them in action."_

Hiccup nodded, although his head was starting to spin. "What happened to your brother, exactly?"

The Bewilderbeast lowered his head. Hiccup wasn't entirely sure, but he could have sworn that he saw a bit of sadness in the larger dragon's eyes. " _Something that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I was inches away from winning my title as King, but he was injured beyond compare. It was when my telepathy activated, and I saw something dark in my brother's mind. It wasn't his thoughts, per say, but a vision: he was controlling a dragon to kill other dragons, and killing humans in the process. I was suddenly frightened, but I didn't have the strength to end his life. So I allowed him to live."_

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "But if you let him go, doesn't that mean than he's out there somewhere?"

" _Perhaps,"_ the Bewilderbeast said, " _and perhaps not. The world is far bigger than even I can admit to."_ He stared down at Hiccup. " _I sense you have more questions for me, Dragon Master. Your mind is a pond rippling with endless questions."_

"Well… what would happen to the nest?" Hiccup wondered, trying to think past the odd analogy, "I mean… Drago's probably going to attack this nest…" He knew asking Icespitter to help fight against Drago would be a long shot, and considering that Astrid wouldn't agree to it….

" _You have been taught well, Dragon Master, but it is prudent that we protect our own."_

 _Why does everyone keep saying that?_ Hiccup thought to himself. There was some annoyance, too.

" _However,"_ Icespitter said slowly, " _… if it does come to a conflict, I will talk to Astrid about this."_

There was a small nod from Hiccup.

" _She's loyal to those she loves dearly,"_ the dragon insisted. " _In time, she will trust you. She's had her heart broken in the past, and it's wrecked her chances of ever trusting the humans. I believe she merely needs guidance and to experience the lives of Vikings, ones that are not like the one that hurt her. I feel it is the only way that you two can truly understand each other."_

The young man almost allowed himself to agree, but he knew that it might not be for the best. _So… the King agrees with me… but Astrid's still unsure about all of this… but now I know why…_ "But… what about Astrid? She's already told me that she's not comfortable with being around humans. She… I know she doesn't trust them yet." _Heck, she still doesn't trust_ me _. Whatever this guy did to her… she must have really loved him._

 _"Time will tell, Hiccup. Only time will tell."_ He raised his head, and descended back to the water. " _Although, I have always been one to believe in fate. Perhaps in this time Astrid will see Vikings without their killing nature."_

Hiccup was about to ask how this could be, but he was caught off guard from a hand. He felt someone, a man, sneak from behind Hiccup and grab him. Hiccup tried to scream, but the rather large hand prevented him from doing so. It didn't take Hiccup long to figure out who was on the other end of the hand.

"Quiet now."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. _Yea, it'll be hard to talk with a sweaty hand on my mouth._

It wasn't the King's fault, but Hiccup was starting to notice that the King probably knew more about Hiccup than he did about himself.

* * *

 _Okay, you're gonna wonder why Eret didn't take the riders to Drago: it seems weird that Drago would expose himself like this, and Eret seems too smart to actually give away riders so they would know where Drago was. In this version, however, he has no idea about the other alpha dragon, due to him attacking Eret merely a day ago. Now, I'm writing it as though Eret hasn't been able to send this information until he faces Drago, which will be soon._

 _In addition, I did write this as a convenience that Hiccup connected the dots between Astrid and the missing girl from when he was three. Yea… not exactly realistic, right? But there are freaking dragons in this story, people. And this is fanfiction._

 _Also, does it seem weird that Drago's army never comes to Berk, or of that we know of? Because Drago's gone, but his armada never came? I can't believe I never realized that._

 _So… I'm throwing in some deus ex machina and placing Drago somewhere else… because I think he deserves a different… uh… introduction. Not that his in the movie was bad or anything... I want some originality. Maybe I'll have him hunting dragons or something….XD_

 _Alright, guys. I'll see you later_ _J_


	14. Enter the Dragon Controller

_Hey, guys! I am way sorry this took so long to upload. I am currently on break, but I got sick yesterday (come to think about it, I am still feeling a little under the weather. All I've done today was sleep, eat oranges, sleep, drink soup, sleep...). However, I have been working on this chapter along with Chapter 15. So hopefully Ch.15 will be up sooner rather than later.  
_

 _Alrighty, you know the drill: please review and tell me what you think :)_

 _Oh, and who's seeing The Force Awakens on Friday? I'm not seeing it until Boxing Day, sadly. So I won't be on the internet that much until I see the movie, to avoid spoilers (damn, that will be hard lol)._

 _Okay, see you soon :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 14: Enter the Dragon Controller_

Finna glared at Eret for what seemed like hours. And for some reason, he _still_ wasn't dead. The stupid lard of a man, if he could even be considered as such, merely took the group to a bigger ship at the middle of the armada.

She wanted him to die; he _betrayed_ them. He was a no-good, lying scumbag who should die in a hole filled with Whispering Deaths. Finna frowned at herself; did it bother her that he did this to them? Why did it bother her so much? This guy was only doing his job, although she didn't see any point in bringing in the Dragon Riders. _It's your own fault, Finna. You trusted him to take us to Drago Bludvist._

Heather merely glanced back at Finna. "You don't think Hiccup was taken here, do you?"

Finna thought of that possibility, but she had to admit, the thought didn't cross her. If the Valkyrie took him to _her_ nest, it would be father from this area. _This doesn't seem like the place where the Valkyrie would be…_ If that _was_ the case, anyway.

An idea soon crossed her mind. "So, if Drago isn't here, where exactly _is_ he?"

Eret laughed. "Oh, there's no way I'm telling _you_ that, Haddock." He stopped, and inched closer to her. "You think I'll give away Drago's place here… then you've got a lot coming to you." He sat up. "No. Until Drago returns, you'll be here with my men."

The group followed Eret to another group of men, who held the dragons down with ropes and pikes. A man, wearing grizzly bear skin instead of polar like the others, stood in the middle of them. He held a parchment, and inspected the dragons being tied up. Some of the dragons growled sadly as he had them marked with red tags.

"This is pathetic," Finna said under her breath. "You work for someone, who works for Drago."

"Hey! Shut up!" Eret whispered. He faced the man with the grizzly-bear hide. "Look, Anton. We've got more dragons for Drago's army."

The man leaned back against one of the dragons. From here, Finna was able to see what he looked like. Just as Eret was built, the only difference in the two was that Anton was darker in skin tone. "Good. He _should_ be back by sundown. Perfect opportunity to attack Berk after this." He frowned. "I have been hearing reports of a man, Eret. The boss may want to hear about him."

"What man?" Eret asked.

"They call him _Hiccup._ "

Finna gaped. _What do they want with_ my _brother?_

"Hiccup… as in Hiccup _Haddock_?" Eret asked. He scoffed. "He's _not_ on Berk, and he's _no_ threat. He's been raving on about this Valkyrie Among Dragons who happens to have a Bewilderbeast."

Anton's eye twitched. "They. _What_?" He grabbed a spike from one of the men holding Finna and the other Riders captive, and walked up to Eret with anger on his face.

"Well, _Drago_ won't know!" Eret insisted, backing away from Anton. "He's far from here, is he not?"

Anton didn't answer.

"He… is gone, right?" Eret asked, sounding more worried.

Finna looked to the other Riders. "Maybe Hiccup's not here, at all."

Anton stepped up to Eret, ignoring Eret's pending question. "You think he's gonna be happy to hear about a new _Bewilderbeast_?" he asked. "It's bad enough that our army's not ready!" he shouted. "My men need more dragons, if we are to help Drago conquer the Archipelago!"

Eret shook his head in agreement. "Yes, I know that. But who's gonna get you your dragons before Drago comes back?" he said through clenched teeth.

"I don't know, but you bet your father's name that Drago won't want to know of some kid who can train dragons as well as Drago Bludvist," Anton insisted. "You saw what happened to Borysko when he reported about a supposed vigilante."

Eret frowned, and gulped silently. "I wish I had. I don't want Drago to hear of this Dragon Master or whatever-"

" _Dragon Master?!"_

The attention of all the Vikings, including Eret and his men and guards, changed their direction to a dark, hooded figure. His statue was darken, due to hiding in the shadow of the ship's hull. The deep voice matched the statue, as it was a man who walked threateningly, but with such grace, to the Riders and the two men previously arguing.

Finna's eyes nearly widened, noticing the similarities in this man to the description of the mysterious man her own father met twenty years ago:

 _Drago Bludvist._

* * *

"Dad?" Hiccup asked, worried. "What's going on?"

Gobber popped in from behind a rock. "Okay, the coast is clear!" he said with confidence, and his dragon dragging slowly behind him.

"Clear of _what_?" Hiccup interrupted. He shook his head. "Never mind. What are you guys even _doing_ here?"

Valka came out from behind Stoick. She grabbed Hiccup's hand with a gentle touch, but with force. "Son, we're taking you back to Berk before Drago has the chance to attack."

Oh _Gods_. He thought he was in trouble with only his father. Now his _mother_ was here? "But Mom, I almost-" he tried to explain.

"You can talk later, Hiccup," Stoick interrupted. "We need to go."

"No, Dad! I can't leave!" Hiccup insisted, trying to pull away from his father's grip. Gods, why was he cursed with his small size? If only he was built like Stoick…

Valka stopped, noticing her son's movements, and halted the boy. "What do you mean, Hiccup?" she asked.

"Val, we need to take him home." Stoick was persistent, and held on Hiccup's shoulder. "End of discussion."

"I don't think it's a matter of discussion if Hiccup was brought her against his will," Valka argued. "And _release_ our son."

Stoick immediately allowed Hiccup to step out of his harsh grip. Hiccup found himself rubbing his aching shoulder.

"Now… where is this Valkyrie you told your sister about?" Valka asked. "She came to take you prisoner, didn't she?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No… well, yes, but she didn't mean to. She took me to speak to the King, actually." When Valka raised her eyebrow, Hiccup continued: "The King is this huge dragon called a Bewilderbeast, Mom. He made this icy cavern to protect his dragons… isn't that cool?"

"A _dragon_ made this?" Stoick asked.

"How big is it?" Valka asked. "It's gotta be huge if it made this entire cavern… possibly hundreds of feet across. And the lung capacity to make all that ice…"

Stoick glanced at his wife. "Val, please don't encourage the boy"

"And the dragon spoke to you?" Valka noticed.

Hiccup nodded. "Well, he actually spoke to me in my mind using his mind powers."

"Hiccup, that's ridiculous. How can a dragon have mind powers?" Stoick brushed off.

Valka ignored her husband. "So it has controlling powers like the Red Death… but not to control the dragons? How does it get the dragons to collect food?" she asked her son.

"It hunts for the food, Mom," Hiccup explained. "Astrid and I went out with the dragons, and the King went in the water and spurted out all this fish for the dragons to catch!"

"Who's Astrid?" Gobber asked, suddenly cutting in the conversation.

"Oh, she's the Valkyrie," Hiccup said, nonchalantly. "She says she's from Berk, but she was little when the dragons took her here." Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Do you know of anyone who had a child named Astrid roughly seventeen years ago?"

While he waited for his mother to answer, to which she didn't say anything, he looked at Gobber. The blacksmith also didn't have a response for the boy. However, Stoick suddenly leaned against a rock. His eyes appeared to spin, and his hand immediately went for his head. Hiccup tilted his head; Stoick _never_ lost balance, or his cool over _anything_.

"Stoick?" Valka asked, walking up to her husband.

"The Hofferson child," Stoick stated. Valka gasped slightly. "We never _found_ the child after that raid." He shook his head. "Arvid and Ingrid had a daughter around the same age as _you_ , Hiccup, and the two of you would play together. One night…" He sighed, unable to finish the tale.

"One night a dragon came up to the two of you, but it took _her_ away," Valka finished. "I… I was there when it happened. I blamed myself a lot when that happened." She sighed. "The Hoffersons still are uneasy with me."

Hiccup never thought about it, but he _did_ recall that he never saw much of the Hoffersons, save for Brenna Hofferson (Finna's friend). If the Hoffersons _did_ hold a grudge on Valka, then it would make sense why he hardly saw them.

"Dad, are you even sure it's the same child?" Hiccup asked. He knew that Astrid told him otherwise, but he was beginning to doubt his instinct. "There _must_ have been plenty of children taken by dragons, not to mention hundreds of islands in the Archipelago that have dragon raids and children." He shrugged. "Why would you think she's from _our_ island?"

"Because children don't get taken by dragons on other islands," Stoick said. "What kind of Chief is stupid enough to allow a child to be taken by a dragon?"

Valka patter her husband's shoulder. "I don't blame you, Stoick."

"And I you, my dear," Stoick said, holding her hand.

Gobber coughed, bringing the attention of the Haddocks. "You know, if we actually saw the girl, we could tell if she's a Hofferson or not," he offered. "The Hoffersons are known for their strong genes."

Hiccup chuckled. _Funny…. if that's true, then I would have known right?_

Stoick was about to speak when he, too, caused his eyes to dart upward. It was pure sleekness that he drew out his axe. With a muster of his own strength, he pushed Hiccup and Valka behind him, which Gobber reacted with his own hammer drawn. Hiccup didn't allow himself to think on why Stoick reacted, but he still looked up at his father with the upmost confusion.

"Dad?" he asked.

Stoick tapped Valka's belt, and she instinctively drew out her custom sword, which also contained bits of Hiccup's craftsmanship on it. Hiccup, not wanting to disappoint his father, drew out his Inferno.

Hiccup watched as his father dart his eyes around the area, while the dragons gathered closer to the humans. Toothless was right up against Hiccup, but he kept hissing confusing tones to him, as though he wasn't sure why the humans were huddling.

Stoick looked up once again. "There's someone here."

"Oh, that's the Valkyrie," Hiccup said, without skipping a beat. "She won't hurt us."

The three adults glanced at him with confused expressions.

"Well, she won't hurt _me_ ," Hiccup corrected.

 _And my family, hopefully._

"Hiccup!"

* * *

Drago made his way closer to Eret, with every inching moment that was caught in Finna's sight. The way he walked… it reminded herself of how her father would stagger. This man… had a haunting movement to him, which made him more frightening than Stoick.

Eret glanced up at the dark man with looks of horror. Finna found herself wanting to barf at his stupid-looking faces. _What right did this guy have to look scare?_ However, she too looked upon Drago's face, with the unpleasing and glaring eyes, which caused her to keep her hurling down. The man was indeed haunting; with dragon scales draped over his left arm, and a face with scars. Causing his face to fall to one side.

Anton, however, was not as scared. He merely stood up to Drago, with a wave of his hands. "Well, you see, Drago. There's really no reason to get upset over a man who claims to control dragons"

Drago didn't let him finished, because his hands were around the man's throat in a quick grip. Anton grasped at Drago's hand, and ached for air. Drago didn't move an inch of his face, as his hand squeezed tighter on Anton's windpipe. Finna could hear the aching noises of the man trying to inhale air, but it was no use. There was a crack heard from Anton, and Drago threw the man's body aside as though it was a paperweight.

"Who calls themselves Dragon Master?" Drago asked, lightly.

Eret pointed to Finna.

Finna nearly gaped. _Damn, I need to listen to Hiccup more often; boys_ are _stupid._

"But... er, this guy's not a threat," Eret insisted. "He doesn't even _know-"_ Drago grabbed Eret's throat, causing him to gag and stop in mid-sentence, just as Anton did. "Dr-Drago…"

Drago sneered at Eret, and threw him aside as he ascended to Finna. "Who is this…Dragon Master?" he asked again, with a threatening slow voice.

Finna felt her entire body shake. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this scared… unless merely _hearing_ about Drago and causing her to feel sick counted as anything.

"He… He's…" she looked around her, her mind drawing a blank. She couldn't think straight, with Eret gasping for air not ten feet away from her, and the dead Anton not far from _him_. She gulped. If she gave the wrong answer, would her fate be that of Anton as well?

Drago frowned, and turned away. "Get rid of these pests."

Finna backed away as the men came closer to her. Spears in their hands. It wasn't the most plausible idea, but Finna's mind soon worked out for itself.

"What about the Valkyrie, Eret?" Finna asked, reputedly. "Did you not tell him about the _Valkyrie_?"

Drago stopped.

"Valkyrie?" Drago asked. "What is she talking about, Eret?"

"Nothing, I swear," Eret insisted, still grasping for air.

"No, tell him how you were bested by the Valkyrie Among Dragons," Finna said, "I think he'd be happy to hear that she has a _Bewilderbeast._ "

Drago grabbed Eret's face. "A _Bewilderbeast?_ This Valkyrie has a _Bewilderbeast?_ "

"No, Drago!" Eret insisted once again. "This girl doesn't know what she is talking about!"

Finna scoffed. "She's only the most fearsome phantom in the Archipelago. Her dragon army took down Eret's fort nearly a day ago, and she can control the Bewilderbeast!"

Heather nudged Finna. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Yea, are you trying to get us killed?" Snotlout whispered.

Finna didn't answer either of them. "And if you think she's alone on this, Dragon Master's gonna come in with his _Night Fury_ and take out your entire army with her dragons!"

"There _is_ no Dragon Master," Drago hissed. "I _alone_ control the dragons!"

"Nope," Snotlout said.

"Sorry," Fishlegs added with a laugh.

"You should tell that to the two people who control the dragons," Heather agreed.

"Both of them are the best dragon controllers we've seen," Ruffnut added.

Tuffnut nodded. "Yea, Hiccup's the best-"

"Hic-cup?" Drago repeated, unsure.

"Oh, he's only the son of Stoick the Vast and the best trainer the world's ever seen with his Night Fury," Finna said nonchalantly. "The greatest Dragon Master the Archipelago has ever seen."

Drago's eyes widened. "Is this true?" he asked Eret, squeezing the man's jaw. Eret didn't answer. Another squeeze. "Is this _true?!"_

Eret merely shook his head in denial.

"Ask him about his fort," Finna prompted. "If you don't believe that a Bewilderbeast took down the fort, go and see for _yourself_."

Drago growled, staring back at Eret. "You told me you were moving west to capture more dragons, not that you were running away from a dragon! And now there's another _Bewilderbeast?_ " He squeezed Eret's face again. "Now there are two dragon masters, and all of Berk who ride dragons?!"

Eret must have seen hell, because his eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets. However, Drago threw the man aside. It almost made Finna reach down to help him up. _Almost_.

Drago walked to the front of the ship, and held his staff up. "Men! Gather your things! We will stop all preparations, and head for Berk! Then, we will go after this new Bewilderbeast!"

Finna's face lit in horror. What the hell did she just _do?_

* * *

Something caused Astrid to look up from the potential disaster.

From here position, which was outside the nest, she could see the outskirts of the Archipelago, and where any potential danger could crawl into. Yes, this had been her first instinct, particularly because she knew where Vikings would attack from. _Humans are blinded by what is all around them._

She tapped Stormfly's shoulder in a warning; Stormfly immediately turned around and flew towards the gorge. She tried to ignore her pending thoughts. Her first instinct was to hit Hiccup. Hard. Hit him for what he did to the Night Fury. Taking his freedom.

 _But he made a tail for him._

Astrid shook her head. Her hand went for her sword on her belt. _No_ human was able to change. He couldn't attempt murder before changing his mind. He was just like the others. He was.

So why did the thought hurt her?

The pending thought wouldn't leave her. It lingered in her mind, as the stench of fish did. She grabbed at Stormfly tighter. Hiccup was just another human. Another _stupid_ human. Just like Thuggory.

But he wasn't Thuggory.

He was _Hiccup_.

Both sisters entered through the ice. Dragons still swarmed, but less so. They were moving… but with caution. Some of the trackers had their noses up. Sniffing. Sensing. Astrid lifted her nose up as well. _Hmm… it's not the smell of the trappers._ No burning of oils and wood here.

Stormfly moaned. " _Flametorch… I smell new humans."_

" _Humans?"_ Astrid repeated. _That was impossible. How could humans have-_

Unless.

She tapped Stormfly's shoulder, causing her to dive. The dragon aimed for the ground. Right near the sleeping Bewilderbeast. Astrid sighed. _Thank the ancestors he's asleep._ The beast didn't move; she guided Stormfly to the trees.

This was her only leverage. Spying in the trees was where she could probe and protect her family. And an advantage to anyone who would dare enter the nest.

She stayed there, where she saw three unidentified humans with Hiccup-

 _WHAT?!_

Without a thought, she dived down to the group of people.

"Hiccup!" she shouted.

The man's face filled in confusion. Briefly. Before she could see completely. She brought him down, and stood up. Her first instinct drew her sword. Pointing at them with venom in her mouth.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid didn't answer. Her eyes were on the strangers, and she held her arm up with her axe. Her eyes didn't leave the figures known as _humans._ Dragon Killers. The humans held spears and were dark shadows, ready to kill the both of them.

 _Not if I can help it._

There was a groan from Hiccup. "Astrid, these are my parents: Valka and Stoick."

Astrid tilted her head, as she studied the three humans. The first one was huge, with a beard going down his torso. Now… _this_ was a Viking. He was strong and bold, as most Vikings that she had seen on the raids. Astrid noticed that his hair was auburn, matching Hiccup's messy hair.

The second… male… looked nothing like the first. Yes, he was stock, but he appeared shorter and grew strange whiskers from his nose, like the hairs of a distant dragon from a faraway land. Strangely, he, too, had a strange-looking leg, as Hiccup did.

 _A relative… perhaps?_

For the woman, her statue was slim. However, there was some strength there. In her eyes. The eyes that matched Hiccup's deep green ones. Now Astrid knew where he had inherited his slim nature and clumsiness.

A distant memory emerged from her mind, one of when she was little. A young woman, with three braids down her back and a soft smile on her face came up. Small and fun. Astrid almost smiled at the memory. The woman was also slim, just as Miss Valka was.

* * *

 _"Hiccup's momma?" Astrid asked._

 _"Yes, I am Hiccup's momma, aren't I?" the woman said, with a warm laugh and a smile on her face. Astrid smiled too; she liked Hiccup's momma. She was a nice momma. "What would you like, little one?"_

 _"I can play with Hiccup?" Astrid said, pointing to Hiccup. The little boy's face lit up with happiness at the sight of his friend. "He wanna play dragons."_

 _The woman nodded. "Well, I don't see why not. Would you like to play with Astrid, Hiccup?"_

 _"Yes I would, Hiccup Momma!" Astrid said gleefully._

* * *

The woman.

 _Valka_.

"You. I remember you."

Valka's face went whiter than the snow.

Astrid nodded. "I played with Hiccup as a child. _You_ were there."

The older woman's brow pinched together. With the ease of her own footing, she walked closer to Astrid. She backed away. One step. The woman nodded slowly. Holding a hand up. She walked closer, with her two hands stretched out. Gently.

Astrid understood immediately. _She's approaching me._

 _As a dragon._

"You're Astrid, aren't you?" she asked, quietly.

Astrid frowned. "Astrid Flametorch." A thought told her to bow slightly, so she did. "You are Hiccup's mother."

Valka merely nodded.

The man, possibly known as Stoick, approached them slowly. However, his hand was still in his hammer. Astrid's sword raised at his direction quickly.

"Stoick, put your weapon down," Valka whispered.

The message must have sunk in. Both men dropped their weapons. They also healed their dragons, sitting down beside the group.

Astrid eyed them quickly. Could she trust them? Well, they were Hiccup's family. Despite his tale of Toothless'… tail. Yet, she felt calm. She sensed the relationships between humans and dragons. In this group, at least. Perhaps pets… definitely not slaves.

She took her mask off.

At an instant, the three adults gasped.

"It's Arvid's eyes, no doubt."

"She's the spitting image of Ingrid, for sure."

"Looks 'exactly like Brenna, I tell ye."

The names drifted passed Astrid. Were these the names of her family? Her… _human_ family… Astrid felt a sense of emptiness for these names. She didn't know them. Yet, she felt that her longing, pushed down by years of living with the dragons, has been brought back up. Her eyes darted to the humans. They… brought up old thoughts. Tears. Memories. Wonders.

Did she miss them?

Her eyes went to the humans, and her hands backed to Hiccup. Reality. She needed to be taken to reality. Hiccup was real; he was _definitely_ real. She needed the reality, and Hiccup was reality.

"Dad, maybe we should give her a break?" Hiccup asked. "She's not used to humans gawking at her."

The three humans glanced at Hiccup with confusion in their eyes. At first. When a moment passed, they nodded simultaneously, and attended to their dragons. Valka was the only one who actually paid attention to her Stormcutter. The men, however, merely sat _with_ their dragon counterpart.

Astrid looked back at Hiccup, his eyes giving her a sense of familiarity.

 _Thank you_.

He seemed to understand, because he nodded with a smile.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sincerely.

She nodded. "Did I scare them?"

Hiccup chuckled. "Nah. They're used to seeing strange things." He whispered: "You should have seen them when we were attacked by Skullcrusher two years ago."

Astrid found herself laughing, but only softly. Still, her instincts were alert of Hiccup's family. They weren't doing anything terrible, but there was the slight thought in her mind. _Betrayal. Hunting. Enslavement._

How could she get rid of these humans? The humans, despite their innocent curiosity in this sanctuary meant for only _dragons_ , did not fit in a place with dragons. Only dragons could live here, hidden away from the evils of mankind.

Her thoughts went to what Icespitter told her:

 _"You have little experience with humans."_

Astrid gulped. Her instinct still whispered that she should be wary of humans. That humans were unpredictable. Insane. It was what she was taught as a dragon; to be wary of what you don't know. And she did not know humans. For the longest time, humans were a mystery to her. Which was probably why she accepted Thuggory with a first glance. However, after what he did… she could never trust another human.

Yet… the past few hours she spent with Hiccup… had been the best she had in a long time. She felt… free with him. Complete. It was though everything was perfect in the time they spent together. There was no pressure of the Bewilderbeast. No worries of humans around them. It was a paradise. A paradise where she could accept her human heritage and not be scared of it.

 _Because of Hiccup._

Now, Astrid looked upon the three people that made up Hiccup's family. Mostly. She saw himself in them. In their smiles. Laughter. Eyes. Hair. He was within all of them (she didn't want to offend the blonde man that he looked nothing like Hiccup or his parents). It was strange; even their personalities reflected of Hiccup. Valka resembled Hiccup's lean stature. Stoick was Hiccup's stubbornness. At least from what she had seen.

Because of Hiccup… she was willing to give these humans a chance. A second chance.

"Would you like… some fish?" Astrid asked, as casually as she could.


	15. Lines of Understanding

_Hey, guys! I'm back with a new chapter!_

 _So... I got to see "The Force Awakens"! Holy crap! (I don't want to spoil it too much, but it was really good!), and it actually inspired me to finish this chapter. Well... now that I think about it... hearing increments of "The Imperial March" caused me to reinvent Drago Bludvist's character more into what Darth Vader stands for. I mean, you gotta see the similarities: the evil, the mystery, the fact that they are missing limbs... (XD)_

 _Ok... I'm getting too ahead of myself. Here's the chapter. And I still don't own HTTYD._

 _Please review and tell me what you think :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 15: Lines of Understanding_

Eret stood himself up. The lack of air that he witnessed mere seconds ago… it was still there. He tried to swallow enough air to reach his lungs, but his throat still ached from the choking.

"Drago-"

"Throw him with the rest of the Hooligans," Drago ordered to the men surrounding him. "He is of no use to me now."

Eret didn't hesitate to take a weapon out.

His instincts were up.

Alert.

However, his actions were unnecessary. It was at that moment, when they tried to capture him that a dragon appeared. The dragon blocked all the attacks that tried to stop her, and she growled at every attack. Her spiked tail and neck charged at the men who attempted to go closer to Eret.

"Blizzard!" Finna shouted. "Get out!"

Blizzard growled a response, something Eret was not able to translate. In his stunned manner, one of the men used a knockout dart. However, the dragon was shot down, landing in front of a stunned Eret. The dragon moaned as its legs were tied up in a sling. The men surrounding it moved up to tie down the beast properly.

Eret looked down at the dragon. The same dragon whom Finna rode. The fur-like scales… he couldn't miss those. And the broad wings, that matched the Night Fury's wings. The fangs that

Blizzard… her name was. And… she saved his life.

 _His_ life.

 _But… why would a dragon do that?_

He looked up at Finna, who was being pulled away by the men, and screaming for her dragon to stand back up. A part of his heart pulled for her cries. The shouts only became louder as the realization hit her that the dragon would _not_ move. In his own blank mind, and while the men were tying his arms, Finna's words returned to him:

 _Once you've earned a dragon's trust, there's nothing she won't do for you._

It was something sincere… but was she _right_? Eret didn't bother to fight against the men who were currently binding him up. He could only allow them to. Fighting would be pointless at this time.

His eyes were on her. The dragon. The dragon who protected him.

His eyes also shifted to Finna.

She finally stopped shouting, but her eyes were staring at him constantly. Eret didn't bother to look away; he _deserved_ her narrowing eyes. He was trusted to help them; not that he _wanted_ to, at the time. No. He wasn't feeling guilty because he betrayed them. He felt terrible because of what she said.

 _She's right._

As the men took him and the Riders to the end of the moving ship, his mind was already moving ahead. He paid particular attention to the men who were strapping his hands together. Their armour. Well… there was an obvious blind spot. _Their heads. No protection._

Eret shifted his hands to his belt. Metal. Cold against his hand.

 _No wonder this army's defaulting. These men are idiots._

It would only be a matter of time before he could put his plan into action. He only hoped that he would have time to execute it. _And let's hope the Riders are willing to listen._

 _I hope Finna will_ , was his last thought.

* * *

"I must say, you do know how to serve a fine meal," Hiccup told her, taking a plate for himself. Toothless eyed his plate hungrily. "I would have thought you were a cook your entire life."

Serving dinner for the Haddocks was much easier than expected. The hungry humans ate at the fish with such vigorous appetites, save for Valka, and even spoke of some of their own recipes that they had at home. Hiccup couldn't believe how well Astrid was taking in with his parents and Gobber.

Astrid smiled. "Well, I only know from what I've been shown from the dragons and from watching humans from afar." She showed him the fillet. "Although I think it's a little too overcook for my taste."

Slightly cooked fish could not be _over_ cook for his taste. Unless, he assumed, that Astrid liked the undercooked taste of fish. "You eat raw fish?" Hiccup asked, assumingly.

Astrid shrugged. "It's what I'm used to."

Hiccup found himself standing quietly. He guessed that Astrid would have eaten raw fish her entire life, and that was only what she was accustomed to. _It_ does _explain why she would eat the fish right after we caught it._

"Well, for someone who eats raw fish, you're pretty good at cooking," Stoick said. "The cooks on Berk would find their _own_ skills embarrassing."

Astrid merely smiled, which Hiccup did not fail to notice.

"You know, Valka wasn't much of a cook either when I first married her," Stoick said. "It just takes years of – _OOPH_!" Stoick looked over at Valka, who had just hit him across the arm. "But she had other features of her that I married her for."

Valka grinned, smugly. "And what would that be, my dear?"

"Considering that you're one of Berk's best healers, and you provided me a home and two amazing kids," Stoick said, "I would say that it was the best choice I ever made. I might have died if it were not so."

Valka shook her head, with a grin. "Well, there's no need for drastic measures."

"For you, my dear?" Stoick said, smiling. " _Anything_."

Hiccup found himself smiling. If only he could be in love like his parents still were, even after twenty-five years. To have the strength to endear anything, as his parents did: raising two children after losing their first, protecting their village… Hiccup didn't say, but he felt… overwhelmed. He would have to protect the village one day.

However, if he _was_ married by the time he became Chief, which would be a long time from now, it _would_ be nice to be able to have a life-long friend. Having someone to help him through the work of being Chief. Protecting the people, and making decisions for the best of his people. Perhaps… it was the reason for Chiefs to be married, so they didn't have to suffer alone.

 _If only I didn't have to be engaged._

Hiccup almost frowned. He almost forgot that he was… err, _almost_ engaged to Heather due to the supposed treaty.

He found himself looking at Astrid, the feral dragon lady known to attack humans on sight, who was currently serving cooked fish to his parents and Gobber. The woman he barely knew, whom he had the chance of getting to know better during the course of the day, was the only thought on his mind.

She definitely was not like anyone he had met before. Loyal. Stubborn. Violent. Thick-headed. Funny. Kind. Gentle. Heck, Hiccup would not have come up with the latter words if he was with her merely a day ago. Yet, he felt like he knew her his entire life. As though they were still little kids who were never separated. They _were_ Souls of Dragons, after all. They understood each other without really needing to. And Hiccup knew that she didn't feel like she belong, just as he knew within his own tribe.

Hiccup bit down his lip. The change in Astrid, to being kinder to humans, was surprising to him. He was certain that she would have hurt them, although praying that she _wouldn't._ But there must have been a change, right? She didn't kill them. She _offered_ them food.

What feral woman would do this for a man's family?

He turned back to watch his father. Stoick was eating the fish willingly, and he seemed to have enjoyed it. Hiccup remembered what his father told him a long time ago: _if someone you love can accept you at your worst, they can accept you at your best._

He smiled. _Well, I certainly can accept Astrid at her worst… if by worst, I mean she's protective of her dragon family._

He suddenly froze.

 _Wait… am I in love with Astrid?_

* * *

Finna wasn't sure why, but the thought of jumping off the end of a ship and freezing in the water was _not_ how she thought she would go down. She always figured she would die in a ferocious battle, or at her deathbed surrounded by her children. Then again, when she was only twelve, she thought she would perish in the dragon raids.

This was _not_ on her top five of _"How I Want to Die"_ list.

"How deep do you think it is?" Finna asked. She could feel the water's cool temperature hit her face hard. She doubt it would feel any warmer if she were to jump in.

"Around fifty feet," Heather stated, not liking the look of the water below.

Tuffnut frowned. "That's not going to matter if you freeze to death before you reach the bottom."

"Aren't _you_ the positive thinker today," Ruffnut said with a bitter tone.

One of the men poked Finna with their spear, prompting her to step closer to the opening of the ship. Her feet refused to move. No. She wasn't going down like this. Not when her brother and the Valkyrie needed to be warned about Berk. They had the information, and Berk was in danger.

She looked back at Eret. "You are a _steaming_ bag of dragon-"

"Duck."

Immediately, Finn bent down, while Eret did a kick to a man behind her. She looked at the guardsman, as he fell down to the ground unconscious. Eret was quick to pick up a spear and throw it at another man, whacking them with the wood of the spear.

Before she could form a coherent thought, Eret had gotten himself out of his ropes. He kicked two men in the face by making a spit in the air. Another man tried to throw a sharpened stick at him, but Eret caught it, and threw it back at him. One man tried to get away, but Eret spat a dart at the man, causing the man to fall unconscious.

"Okay, _what_?" Finna asked, confused.

Eret threw weapons at the Dragon Riders, which they used them to cut them free. The trapper glanced at them, and looked over. "Now, we need to get off this ship swiftly-"

Fishlegs came over and grabbed Eret by the throat.

"Fishlegs!" Heather whispered. "What are you _doing_?"

"This guy betrayed us, and now he wants to help us?" Fishlegs asked, angrily, tightening his grip on Eret.

Snotlout raised the sword in his hand. "I say we make a _mark_ on his _perfect_ face!"

Ruffnut chuckled. "Too bad. He's _perfect_ looking!"

Finna groaned. " _Guys_! Despite the jerky things he did to us and our dragons, he's helping us _now_ , is he not?" she asked. She threw Fishlegs' hands off Eret's voice, and a loud cough came from him. She pulled Eret back up at his feet, and glared down at him. "Now, Eret, are you going to help us warn Berk or not?"

Eret rubbed his throat. "Yes, if that's what you're wondering."

Heather pulled Finna aside rather abruptly. "Finna, are you going to allow this man to help us, even after what he's done?" she asked. "He _literally_ told Drago that there are more dragons on Berk."

Finna found herself caught in a tough situation. She really agreed with Heather, since Eret turned them over to Drago's forces. And her hatred was still there, that he allowed her dragon to be shot down. Twice (although for the second time, she had to admit, Blizzard appeared to have been _protecting_ him).

On the other hand, which came with her first point, Blizzard _protected_ him. She came out of nowhere, and shielded Eret. When in all the blazes did Blizzard start to trust _Eret_?

"I know where the dragons might be," Eret said.

He ducked down, and hid behind the walls of the ship, as to not get caught. The rest of the Riders followed in pursuit, mimicking his movements. Finna stayed closest to Eret, with Heather on her right. Eret stopped at what appeared to be huge traps, and quickly ran over to a lever, to which he began to open it slowly.

Once the trap was slightly opened, he motioned Finna up to get in. Finna didn't hesitate to climb up in the trap and peer inside. A dragon sat down in the trap, which was a Monstrous Nightmare. A very _familiar_ -looking dragon.

"Hookfang?" Finna asked.

The Monstrous Nightmare peered up, and his eyes rounded at the sight of Finna. She smiled, and jumped down. Taking a knife out, she began to cut the ropes on him.

"Now, Hookfang. You need to be quiet, okay?" she said.

* * *

Astrid patted a Hobblegrunt, walking Valka over to the dragon. "This is Thunderblitz. She was from another tribe, but she was hurt around here so I healed her."

Valka pat the dragon, and the dragon's scales immediately changed to purple. "Oh, and she has camouflage?" Valka asked.

"Well, technically no. Her scales change to the colour of her mood." She stroked the dragon's scales, as though it would calm her down, too. "Sometimes they are known as Mood Dragons."

The older woman smiled. "You know so _much_ about these dragons. It's quite amazing." She looked away for a split moment. "I know you remember me. Can you forgive me?"

Astrid stopped petting Thunderblitz. "Why do I need to?" she asked. "You did nothing to me."

"I was watching you when you were taken away by the dragon," Valka said. "You and Hiccup used to play together, and since your parents partook in the dragon raids, they needed someone to watch you."

There was a moment of silence from her. So it wasn't necessarily _Valka_ who allowed her to be taken by the dragons… although she never saw it that way. She always figured that her parents not only abandoned her, but never bothered to look for her. However, why would Valka feel bad? It wasn't like she was her mother, who never came back to find Astrid.

"Did my parents look for me?" Astrid asked.

Valka frowned. "I… All I know is that Stoick looked for a long time. However, by the time the cold winter was coming by, he had to call off the search. Your parents… they never really talked to me much after that day."

Astrid saw something in Valka's eyes that she wasn't used to seeing in humans: guilt. This woman, a woman who wasn't even her _mother_ , felt bad that she lost her. That she was responsible for her wellbeing, and Valka felt as though she betrayed Astrid.

A _human_ felt bad for her.

"I don't blame you," Astrid said.

Valka looked back at her, but only gave a small smile. "So… you had the chance to meet my son, I see." She went back at stroking Thunderblitz. "I noticed the punch mark you gave him the other day."

Astrid found herself almost chuckling, but remembered that this was Hiccup's _mother_. Astrid had punched this woman's _son_. Even with her limited knowledge of human beings, she knew that it was never good to hurt a mother's son. "Uh… I, uh-"

"Water under the bridge, my dear," Valka said, with a grin on her face. "I don't doubt that you hit him after snooping in your nest. I would be, too, if I found him here."

Astrid sighed, with some degree of relief. "It was mostly instinct. I wasn't sure if he was here to hurt the dragons or not."

"My son wouldn't hurt a dragon even if it hit him first," Valka said. "It's something he's always had, ever since he was a babe."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Hiccup was different as a baby?"

Valka nodded. "I assumed I was, as well, since I had a say in the dragon raids. I thought there could be peace on Berk." She chuckled. "It was a _very_ unpopular opinion. "You see, there was a raid when he was nearly six months old, and a dragon broke into our house."

"I took a sword and rushed in to protect him. But then I saw something extraordinary: the dragon was bonding with Hiccup. Here he was, just a babe, and he was holding the dragon's claw as though it was a mere human finger. The dragon looked to be rocking his cradle in a gentle way. It was proof of everything I believed it."

Astrid didn't have the words as Valka continued her tale.

"Then, as I approached the dragon, it turned and cut Hiccup's chin. As it walked closer to me, I raised my sword up, but my eyes never left him. But then, for a split second, I looked in the dragon's eyes. This wasn't a vicious beast, but a gentle, intelligent creature, whose soul reflected my own."

There were truth to her words. Astrid recalled a time when Icespitter told her that he had sensed Hiccup, and sent Cloudjumper to retrieve him. Astrid almost gasped. Was _Cloudjumper_ the dragon in Valka's tale?

Valka continued: "Then, my husband came in, and attacked the dragon. I tried to stop Stoick, but he trapped the creature in ropes, and men came flooding in, taking the dragon to the pins. The house was soon ablaze, and Stoick nearly died saving Hiccup's life."

Astrid bit her lip. "Valka… was the dragon in your story a Stormcutter?"

"Yes," Valka said, without hesitation. "Why?"

"Well, the dragon, Cloudjumper, was sent to Berk to take Hiccup to the Bewilderbeast," she explained. "He believed, and still does, that Hiccup was a Soul of a Dragon, prophesised to unite the two worlds."

Valka nodded, to what Astrid assumed was in understanding. "I named him Cloudjumper; Hiccup told me that's what the dragon's name is in Dragonese."

Astrid nodded. "How did Hiccup learn to understand dragons?" she asked. She glanced over at Hiccup, who was standing with Stoick and Gobber, with Toothless resting beside him. Strangely, Astrid noticed how close Toothless was to Hiccup; the dragon _never_ left the boy's side. It was more than the dragon's need to rely on Hiccup due to the prosthetic fin; the dragon felt close to Hiccup. The dragon never let Hiccup leave his sight, and he protected him with his life.

What dragon would willingly do _that_?

"I'm not entirely sure," Valka admitted. "All I know is that the dragon seems to teach him how to understand some dragon hisses and growls with actual words."

Her words made some sense, Astrid had to admit. She couldn't really remember how she learned the dragon's tongue, but the Viking language was never truly lost to her, either. Hissing and growling was the majority of the dragon's tongue, and she always talked to the dragons this way. It was rarely through the Viking language. However, it was when she interacted with humans again that she found the human tongue.

The story of Hiccup bonding with Cloudjumper, as an infant, brought some truth to the words of the Bewilderbeast. The King told Hiccup that he was a Born Souls. If Hiccup could bond with dragons as a baby… then Icespitter was right, after all. _He really_ is _the Born Soul._

She was about to answer, but Hiccup came over to join them.

"Hey, you showed Thunderblitz to Mom," Hiccup noticed, as he pet the dragons affectionately. "She's a troublemaker, isn't she?" he asked, jokingly.

Astrid smiled. "Yea… she's interesting, alright."

Valka chuckled. "Well, I can see that Stoick and Gobber have made some new friends."

Both Astrid and Hiccup followed to Stoick and Gobber, where many dragons were sniffing at them. Grump and Skullcrusher tried to warn the dragons away from their riders, but the dragons ended up being sniffed by many Snafflefangs.

"I'll tell them off," Astrid offered.

Valka shook her head. "No, it's alright. I'm used to this sort of thing on Berk." Without another word, she left the two young adults. However, Astrid noticed Valka wink at her.

"She's trying to give us space," Hiccup explained, still looking at Thunderblitz.

Astrid joined him. "She reminds me of the King. Very wise, and forcing us to talk to each other."

She stopped. The last time _that_ happened to her… it was with Thuggory. _He_ was the last human that she tried to get to know. And to think that humans could change… he wasn't any different from the enslaving dragon riders that she watched from afar for years. The only difference was that she made the mistake in falling in love.

 _I_ better _not be doing the same with Hiccup._

* * *

Eret cranked the knob, and glanced around him. If he was caught… it wouldn't help Finna or the rest of the Hooligans escape to Berk.

Once the trap was slightly open, he climbed up and peered inside. He hoped that the dragon she was searching for was in there. Luckily, a dragon was in there, and scales that looked like thick fur around the scuff of her neck looked up at him.

He jumped down and held his hand out, slowly approaching the dragon. "Blizzard, right?"

The dragon slowly nodded her head.

"Thank you, for saving my life," Eret said.

Blizzard sniffed Eret's hand, and had him rest it on her muzzle. Eret noticed how warm her scales were, despite the coldness that her name suggested. Dragons always were cold, were they not, since they were cold-blooded? _"_

 _I know,"_ she seemed to say.

"Now, let me return the favour."

* * *

Hiccup continued to pet the dragon, but Astrid could sense that his mind was elsewhere. As though he was distracted by something. Astrid, slowly, walked to beside him and laid a soft hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The boy shrugged, as his limbs wiggled out more than usual. "I'm worried about what the King said."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. " _Worried_? How?"

"About Drago. If he's going to come after all the dragons, then we need to be ready," Hiccup said. "I don't like waiting around for him to attack here or Berk."

Astrid nodded. She truly understood what Hiccup was feeling; she desperately wanted to follow the dragon trapper and stop Drago. However, the King had warned her that they had a duty to protect their own nest first, before going into battle. It wasn't what she wanted, and she _really_ wanted to prove her worth to the nest, but it would only lead to death and destruction.

But Hiccup was scared.

He, too, was an outside, and he was a _human_. He was alone his entire life, before he met Toothless. Hiccup even said that he couldn't amount to his own sister's dragon-fighting skills. He must have thought that he had to become a dragon killer in order to be accepted by his own _father_.

She found herself looking down at the ground. Astrid knew that feeling all too well; she wanted to prove to Bronzer that she was a dragon. A good enough dragon in his eyes. But it was not until his passing that he could see that she was worthy of protecting dragons. Worthy of leading the Deadly Nadders to the dragon sanctuary.

"I… I want to help you," she said.

Damn, as hard as those words were to utter, they seemed… right. Practical to utter to him.

Hiccup glanced back at her. "But the King. He doesn't want the dragons here to be involved."

"I know," Astrid admitted. "Except… if he _truly_ believes that you are the Born Dragon, he may make an exception." She chuckled, which came out easier than she thought. "Behind his icy exterior, he actually _is_ a softie."

Hiccup pondered at the thought. "It _could_ work." He grinned. "I say we ask him."

Astrid smiled as well. "For once, I agree with you."


	16. Convincing Icespitter

_Hey, guys. So I have the first part to Chapter 16, since I am having a hard time getting to 4,000 words. Now, this chapter's not as fleshed out as most of my chapters for this story are, so please forgive me._

 _There will be some action soon, but I need to get this chapter out of the way before any action happens. And… there will be some differences to how this story and how HTTYD2 goes, so don't worry._

 _Oh, and thank you all so very much for getting this story to 100 reviews! That's the most I have for any of my stories! :D_

 _Ok, so here is Chapter 16 :) and please review :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 16: Convincing Icespitter  
_

"Goodness, Hiccup. He's beautiful," Valka said in awe.

The Bewilderbeast laid in the water, sleeping away. As per usual. Hiccup watched as his parents and Gobber watched the dragon in pure wonder and awe. Skullcrusher, Cloudjumper and Grump all immediately bowed to the dragon.

Hiccup watched as Astrid bowed to the dragon. He, too, followed her actions.

"What are you doing, son?" Valka whispered.

"Showing respect to the King," Hiccup said, matching her whispering tone. He gestured his head to the gigantic dragon in the water. On cue, the three older adults found themselves bowing in unison. However, Gobber was the last one to bow, since he watched Stoick and Valka bow.

The dragon lifted his head and looked up at the humans. " _I see you've brought your parents,"_ the Bewilderbeast noted.

Hiccup smiled, as he watched his family looked at each other in confusion. "They were making sure I wasn't hurt, my King."

" _Oh, come now. You don't have to speak to me in this way in front of your parents. You can call me Icespitter, as you always do."_

Stoick scratched his head. "Is he… is he… _speaking_ to us?"

" _Yes, I am, Stoick the Vast,_ " the dragon said. As per usual, the dragon's mouth did not move. However, Hiccup found himself smiling to himself. " _I see you have your own dragon; you finally saw your son's ways of befriending dragons."_

Hiccup had to admit, he had never seen his father sweat before. And… it was a strange, yet hilarious sight. _Someone as strong… and stoic as my dad… and he's sweating like a pig._ He smiled. "Icespitter, you know this already."

" _Yes, but it's funny to watch a human sweat. I must admit, it is a hilarious sight,_ " the dragon mused. His eyes shifted to Valka. " _Yes… you are the woman who bore Hiccup… yes… I can see the dragon within you as well, Valka."_ The dragon hummed a low growl, as though he was reminiscing. " _Perhaps things happen for a reason._ "

Hiccup glanced over at his mother, who looked equally as surprised as he did.

" _You have a question for me,"_ Icespitter said.

"It's Drago," Astrid said, before either of the Haddocks could speak. "I… understand that there is no way that the dragons can help Berk, but we _need_ to prepare for war."

Icespitter did not retaliate, which allowed Stoick to stand up.

"I'm not used to dragons… err… probing my mind, but I can see that you want to protect your dragons," Stoick said. "You seem like a strong leader, and would do anything to protect your nest." He bowed once again. "However, I must ask that I take my son home so we can protect _our_ home."

" _Do not take me for a fool, Stoick the Vast,_ " Icespitter warned, as he stood up. At his standing, he looked down at Stoick with thin slits in his eyes. Hiccup didn't say anything, but he feared for his father's life. " _I know you had a quarrel with Drago Bludvist many years ago. You may know the madness, but you do not know what he has done to my dragons. He poisons their minds with his controlling abilities."_

Astrid stood up this time. "But Hiccup can leave, right?"

" _He is a Born Soul. He belongs with dragons,"_ Icespitter said, without question. " _He can help his family, if he deemed it worthy. But I will not risk the lives of my dragons to help the humans."_

Hiccup felt a stab of betrayal in his heart. So… the whole speech about uniting the two worlds was just something for him to think about, and not actually _do_?

He stood up. "Icespitter, what happened to your idea that Astrid and I can unite dragons and humans?" he asked. "You told us that it was prophesised. So why can't we unite the humans on Berk and your dragons to save their lives?" he asked. "The dragons and humans can work together to stop him."

" _Because you seek to reason with Drago,"_ Icespitter stated. " _You think a dragon army to back you up will convince the warlord. He is anticipating war, Dragon Master. You make the first move, and all the war will shrine to chaos."_

Stoick glanced at Hiccup. "Is that true, Hiccup? You _still_ want to speak to Drago?"

Hiccup frowned. "It's what I'm good at." He found that he was standing taller than usual, and his brow was lower. "I don't want to deal with war if we don't have to… but if I can convince you and Berk about dragons, I can convince him."

Stoick sighed. "Son… I agree with Icespitter: Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with."

Hiccup found himself frowning. He didn't think that his father would _still_ disagree, even with the proof of having the _biggest_ dragon that any human had ever seen agreeing that Drago was dangerous.

" _Your father speaks of wise words, Dragon Master,"_ Icespitter said. " _If Drago Bludvist attacks us, then we will defend the nest. If not, then this is not our war to fight."_

"My King, you know better than anyone that we cannot abandon dragons, especially the ones on Berk," Astrid said, walking up to the dragon. "Hiccup is right; we need to work together to stop Drago."

Hiccup glanced at her curiously, wondering why she was sticking up for him. In the short time that they spent together, Astrid had proven that she was only helping the dragons. It was her feral nature, Hiccup could only assume.

However, she _did_ voice that she wanted to learn more about humans. Learn more… or fight alongside humans…

Was this her way of showing change?

Icespitter tiled his head down, and closed his eyes slowly. Hiccup noticed that the dragon was moving slower than he did a few hours ago, which he assumed was that the dragon was merely tired. " _That being said, Flametorch, I cannot risk the lives of my nest to a pointless war. There are slim chances that they will make it out alive."_

"Unless you helped us," Astrid said. "You're the only Bewilderbeast alive in the Archipelago. You can stop Drago easily." She frowned, with a determined look in her eyes. Hiccup noticed that her eyes, her sapphire eyes, went in flames. Something she had not seen since she tried to attack him. " _Nothing_ can stop you."

The large beast released a low, yet sad murmur, and whispered something that Hiccup himself almost missed.

" _I wish it were so, young one."_

Hiccup was about to answer, when a dragon landed on his shoulder. Astrid drew her sword on instinct, and tilted her head at the dragon. Hiccup looked at his shoulder, and smiled at the sight of the green Terrible Terror on him.

"Hello, Sharpshot," Hiccup said, sounding surprised.

Astrid walked up to him, and lowered her sword. "He's your dragon?"

"A messenger," Hiccup said, as he pat the dragon's head. "He follows us when we need messages, or when my sister needs to be entangled from a trap or something." He frowned, looking at the tied message to the dragon's leg.

Stoick walked over to Hiccup, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "What is it, son?"

Hiccup untied the message, and read aloud:

 _Fishbone_

 _Drago is coming._

 _Come home._

 _Finna_

Hiccup gasped. "Berk… Drago is going for Berk." He looked up to Icespitter, which the dragon's eyes appeared wider than from before. He didn't notice that the rest of his family, including Astrid, wore the same face of fear and anger on their faces.

" _What do we do, Dragon Master?"_ the dragon asked.

Hiccup didn't say. He didn't know.

But he would find a way.

He was Dragon Master, after all.


	17. The Final Countdown

_Hey, guys... I know this is really late... but yea. No excuses except that school and work is busy._

 _Note: This is Part 2 of the last chapter._

 _Okay, here is the chapter, and don't forget to review and tell me what you think :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 17: The Final Countdown_

 _(A few hours prior)_

"Are we close?" Eret asked. He tried to grip on Blizzard's back, but it was proven to be difficult. The dragon wasn't bloody _listening_ to what he was trying to do. And it didn't help that the dragon was snickering every once and a while.

From ahead of him, Finna laughed, while she rode on the Monstrous Nightmare with the short man. "Do you need help, or are you going to be a stubborn ass the entire time?"

" _Please_ help," Eret begged, as though it was the last thing he would ever do. "This dragon-" the Woolly Howl steered her head away from Finna's direction and made a cackling noise. "-She's making _fun_ of me!"

Finna could only laugh. "Maybe she finds it humorous that a dragon trapper is _riding_ a _dragon_!"

 _Not very helpful!_ Eret thought to himself.

"Snotlout, get me closer to Blizzard, will you?" Finna asked.

Eret found himself sighing in relief, and a little curious as to why Finna was being so nice to him suddenly.

"I am _not_ going anywhere _near_ that Eret guy," Snotlout said. "Do you have any idea what he's done to us Hairy Hooligans?"

Finna rolled his eyes, which Eret had to admit he found himself chuckling. "Snot, move over this bloody chicken, or I'll throw you off it!"

"Hey, _no one_ calls my dragon a bloody chicken except for me!" Snotlout shouted.

Finna merely pushed Snotlout off Hookfang. The rest of the Riders laughed at the sight of Snotlout falling.

" _Okay_! Okay!" Snotlout screamed from below them.

Hookfang raced to retrieve his rider, diving down to Snotout. He caught Snotlout in his mouth, as the young rider hung from his mouth. However, Snotlout had his arms crossed over his chest. Eret found the entire ordeal rather amusing, and he desperately tried hard not to laugh at Snotlout's demise.

"Okay, you've made your point," Snotlout huffed.

Finna grinned. "Thanks, big cousin." She ushered Hookfang closer to Blizzard, and jumped on her back. "So, you finding the dragon riding easier than trapping?"

"Er… you might wanna define _easy_ ," Eret said. He gripped on Blizzard's reins. "Why doesn't she listen to me, even when she trusts me?" he asked.

Finna patted Blizzard's side. "She's just teasing you. She knows you're scared, and is playing along with you."

Eret found himself nodding in understanding. "So… if I keep calm, she'll listen to me?"

"Well, that or she's hungry," Finna said, indifferently. She looked down at his hands. "Just relax your hands on the reins, first." She reached over, and unwrapped Eret's tight hands on the reins, and placed them back on the reins lightly. Eret noticed how warm his hands were in comparison to hers. "You'll start to lose feeling in your hand if you keep them tight."

The once trapper gulped. "Ye-yea." Blizzard glanced up at Eret, and released a warm purr from her mouth. "Oh… is she saying something?" Eret asked, excitedly.

Finna shrugged. "I couldn't tell you."

"But don't you guys know how to speak the dragon language?" Eret asked. He heard that all riders of dragons could understand what their dragons were saying. However, this _was_ from other lands where he had trapped dragons.

"Nope," Snotlout said. "Only Hiccup knows how to. He's _always_ talking to Toothless as though he's speaking Norse."

"Interestingly enough," Fishlegs, the bigger man who choked Eret, "many of Hiccup's ancestors knew what dragons were saying, and dubbed the language Dragonese."

Finna nodded. "Or that it's a bunch of hisses and growls."

"But Hiccup's your brother, right?" Eret asked. "If _he_ can understand dragons, then you can too."

Snotlout laughed from Hookfang's mouth. "She couldn't tell the difference between an aggressive and a soft growl was."

"Oh, and you can?" Finna asked, with a smile.

"I _always_ know what my dragon's saying," Snotlout boasted. "He doesn't want me on his back right now."

Eret would have laughed, but the talk of dragons made his mind wander. If Drago was certain about anything, then his plans would be to definitely attack Berk. But was be being bold? None of the Riders, even Finna, told Drago _precisely_ how many dragons Berk had; only alluding to having many of them.

"What's our plan when we get to Berk?" Eret asked.

The Riders looked at him with quizzical looks.

"Usually, Hiccup has the plan," Fishlegs said. "He's always on top of how to defend Berk."

"Yea, like back at Dragon's Edge," Snotlout recalled. "Remember we spent, like, almost a year out there?"

Finna rolled her eyes. "Well, we don't have Hiccup here. We need to get to Berk as fast as we can, and warn them of what's coming."

"Who did you leave in _charge_ , then?" Snotlout asked.

"Wait, Berk has no leader there?" Eret asked, in surprise. "Aren't you the daughter of Stoick, who's the _chief_?" he demanded at Finna.

"Yes. I left Berk in the capable hands of Beardhead," Finna insisted.

Eret found himself holding back a groan. _The island could be in total ruin at this point, and we wouldn't know._ "If I know Drago, he would take the quickest course to Berk from his outpost. Judging by the speed of his ships and our dragons, I'd expect we'd get there before, right?"

Finna nodded. "If you stopped yapping, you'd notice that Berk's right below us."

Eret raised an eyebrow, and looked down. As soon as the clouds cleared, he did see an island posted under them. It was rather small, and proved to be small as they got closer to the island. Eret noticed the tall buildings and extensions of the island, and wondered how such a small island could house so many dragons.

There certainly were not any dragons around the island.

Once the Riders landed, Finna jumped off Blizzard and ran to an older woman and a man with a thick beard.

"Thank goodness you're here, Fin," the man said. "I've been trying to keep the dragons inside as long as I can, but it's hard to tell them why all their leaders left." He looked around. "Where's Heather?" he asked.

Finna glanced at Eret. "Er… _that's_ what we need to discuss to you about." She took a deep breath, and Eret realized that it made her look older than her years. "Drago is coming here."

* * *

"Explain to us why _we_ were left behind?" Tuffnut asked.

Heather groaned. "Finna told us to stay here, okay?" she reminded them. She and the Thorston twins hid behind barriers on the deck of Drago's ship, and hid to the best of their ability, making sure they did not get caught. It hadn't been Heather's idea to stay, but she agreed with Finna's plan to stay behind to throw off Drago's attack when he got to Berk.

"And why should we listen to Finna, again?" Ruffnut crossed her arms.

"She's a good leader," Heather insisted.

A man walked by them, and they ducked their heads.

"Besides, this will create a sneak attack," Heather explained. "If we stay here, then there are two oppositions against Drago: one from Berk, and one from the back lines."

Tuffnut nodded with a grin. "Ah… enemies from the enemy side!" he snickered, rubbing his hands together. "I can feel the rage within me! Oh, if only the chicken were here to see this!"

"Shut up," Ruffnut said, covering her brother's mouth. "You're going to have everyone on us. Do you _want_ Drago's army onto us?"

Tuffnut shook his head, muttering in Ruffnut's hand.

"Now, we need to find our dragons," Heather explained. She walked over to one of the crates, and started to open it. "Is anyone around us?" she asked, looking around.

"Nah, just keep doing what you're doing," Ruffnut said, eyeing Heather seductively.

Tuffnut whacked his sister. "No, you're clear," he insisted to Heather.

Heather nodded, ignoring Ruffnut's comment, and allowed the twins to go inside.

Immediately, she moved over to the next trap, and started to open it, too. Without much difficulty, she climbed into the trap. She peered down, and saw a dragon sitting inside. She recognized that dragon from anywhere.

"Hey girl," she said, jumping inside.

* * *

"Drago's on his way _here?"_ Beardhead asked, with a shocked look on his face. "But how? Why?"

Finna sighed. _Being leader literally has no perks, does it?_ "Well, he's a psychopath and he's bent on capturing all dragons of the world, and I'm pretty sure that he has a Night Fury cloak on him… but I'm a little too disgusted by the fact to really think much about it"

"What she's trying to say," Eret said, stepping closer to Beardhead, "is that we may have alerted Drago Bludvist about the dragons on Berk."

Beardhead glanced down at Gothi quickly, before looking back at Eret. "And who are you?"

"I'm Eret, son of Eret." He bowed his head. "I used to work for Drago Bludvist."

Finna's mouth dropped. Why would he just tell a chief and an _elder_ of his previous affiliations with Drago? It didn't make any sense. She looked at Gothi. "I can assure you that he's a changed man; he no longer wants to work for Drago."

Beardhead stroked his beard. "Are you good with a sword?"

"Yes," Eret said.

"Does Finna trust you?"

Eret looked at Finna with desperate eyes.

"Yes," Finna said, without hesitation.

The older man merely shrugged. "Since you are the representative of House Haddock, then _you_ are the one who has the say if this man is to fight with us or not." He winked at Finna, whose face was in confusion. "What are your orders then, Haddock?"

Finna raised an eyebrow. _Orders?_ She wasn't sure if she should be the one to give orders. Looking back at what her last orders have been… well, she would have thought before and _not_ have warned Drago about the island of Berk with all the dragons.

 _So I'll need to get some help._

"Sharpshot!" Finna shouted.

A Terrible Terror came down, and flew to Finna. The dragon purred against Finna's arm, and gave her a squawk. Finna quickly pulled out a parchment and paper from a bag on Blizzard's saddle, and scribbled down a note. Quickly, she pinned it to the dragon.

"Find Hiccup," Finna ordered. The dragon nodded, and took off into the sky.

"Gothi, get the rest of the riders from the Academy," Finna ordered. "And we'll need to keep the locks closed."

Gothi nodded, and scattered away quickly.

"What do you want us to do?" Fishlegs asked, pushing passed Eret. Snotlout took the opportunity to punch Eret's arm as he walked by to stand beside Fishlegs.

Finna pondered for a moment. "Hmm… we'll need to find more about what this _Bewilderbeast_ thing is." She grinned. "Which is why, when it comes here, we will need Fishlegs up in the sky."

Fishlegs looked as though he was about to pass out. "Wait… you want me and my Meatlug up in the _sky_ with a dragon we know _nothing_ about?"

"How big do you think it could be?" Finna asked, as she started to run over to the closed doors. The rest of the men in the group followed her.

"Judging by its lung capacity, it shouldn't be much bigger than the Red Death," Fishlegs explained. "And we'll need to draw its fire away from Berk. Meaning we'll need to have some distractions up there."

Finna nodded. "Beardhead, do you have a dragon you can ride?"

"It's only a Gronkle, but she's a tough dragon," Beardhead explained.

"Good." Finna could feel her heart beat fast, as she opened through the doors. If Berk was to survive the fight against Bludvist, they would have to work together. And she knew that she had to stay here to represent the Haddocks until her family returned. "Cause we'll need as many dragons as we can."

* * *

"We can't just attack Bludvist," Stock insisted to his son.

Astrid could only stay quiet as Hiccup stood in utter shock at the King's words. Why was the King giving _Hiccup_ the final word? Hiccup was merely a second away of going to _speak_ to Bludvist, and the King wanted Hiccup to lead them.

But she could not ignore the innocent dragons on Berk that were being attacked.

"Keep your dragons here, then," Astrid suggested. "Only allow yourself to come to Berk, then you're not endangering the dragons here." _And the innocent hatchlings_ , Astrid thought. Her mind went to Jungle, Spring, and Troubletail. "If you only go, then no dragon's risking their lives."

" _Silence!"_ The King ordered. " _Dragon Master has the final say, Astrid."_

Astrid bowed her head.

"She has a point," Hiccup said, walking up to Astrid. "You'll be able to come with us, and be sure that the dragons aren't in danger."

The Bewilderbeast glanced down at Hiccup with old eyes. Astrid noticed the tiredness in his stare, as though the light in them were burning out. " _I cannot directly demand that the dragons stay here. If they follow me willingly, it will be a heavy burden on myself and the Souls."_

Hiccup lowered his head as well, almost in defeat.

Astrid remembered, not too long ago, when Hiccup first dubbed her as _Valkyrie._ It was during a time when she thought that he was just like the other humans. Where they enslaved dragons for their own personal gain. But then she saw what he _truly_ was: he was an advocate of dragons. He only did things for the benefit of both humans and dragons. He risked seeing _her_ because he wanted to prove that he thought of both species.

"I agree with Hiccup," she said, taking his hand. And she didn't let go. "We need to hurry and go."

The large dragon stayed silent, as though he was pondering on the situation. Astrid squeezed Hiccup's hand tighter, not wanting to leave it. Icespitter's eyes glanced over at the other three humans, where they were supposedly looking at Hiccup and Astrid's union. At least, that was what Astrid assumed.

If Astrid knew any better, she could have sworn she had seen Icespitter smile.

" _I believe Berk's waiting for you, Dragon Master."_

* * *

Hiccup couldn't exactly concentrate.

He was _holding hands_ with Astrid.

The same girl who punched him not even two days ago.

He found himself quickly glancing down at his hand, entangled within Astrid's. Gods, had it been only _two days_ since he met Astrid for the first time? It felt like longer… like nine months… or longer than that, even. For some reason, her hands were warm. Not exactly what he expected.

But he _liked_ holding her hand.

It felt right.

Valka walked over to them, with a confident look on her face. "I think it's the best thing to do." Her hand rested on Hiccup's shoulder. "

Hiccup looked at his mother. "Wait… you _agree_?" he asked.

"You should lead us. You're Dragon Master," Valka confirmed, with a smile. "I'll always follow you."

"Wait!" Gobber shouted, walking up to Hiccup and Astrid. "I'll follow you, Hiccup. You know more about dragons than we do."

Hiccup smiled. But he stopped, when he looked passed them to his father.

"Dad?" he called out.

Stoick stood there, with the same expression that Hiccup grew up with knowing. There were no words that can be said, but they were hidden in Stoick's eyes. Hiccup knew what his father would say… he knew for a long time.

"What's the plan, son?" Stoick asked.

Valka, Gobber, Astrid and the dragons looked at Hiccup.

Hiccup grinned.

* * *

 _Oh, dear. Haddocks sure think alike, don't they? XD_

 _I just started on the next chapter, and I'm on a break this week, so expect a short update by Friday :)_


	18. Berk's Defense

**_READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE. VERY IMPORTANT:_**

 _Okay, so I figure that this story will end soon. I'm not exactly sure how many chapters, but I doubt that this will see passed thirty chapters, if I'm lucky.  
_

 _Oh, don't be worried, my faithful readers. I will be updating the story and separating it into three parts. This is merely **part 1** of the story._

 _I was considering calling this one "Souls of Dragons", then having the next one called "Souls of Dragons: Prophecy" (you'll get why it'll be called this), but it will mainly focus on Astrid and Hiccup's growing relationship (hopefully romantic XD), and Astrid reintroduced to her family. If I'm lucky, I can push this to a third part._

 _Or do you guys want an entirely different story to make it easier to follow? But again, I will only do what you guys think makes more sense :)_

 _Anyway, here part one of the battle :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 18: Berk's Defense_

The entire island of Berk was shouting.

Actually, shouting would be an understatement. And this was _no way_ being a good shouting. They were standing outside the forge, grabbing weapons and not sure what to do. All of the Hairy Hooligans were shouting, and shouting for their chief to give them orders. Dragons escaped their pens, and roared with the uncertainty that came with the hollers.

Finna could barely hear her own thoughts during all of this. Then again… she _did_ tell the entire island to prepare for an upcoming attack (if Drago was true to his word that he was going to attack Berk). She only hoped that her gut was right and some form of help would be on their way to aid Berk. _Gods, please tell me that someone answered me and is one their way..._

"Adelaide!" Finna shouted. "Brenna!"

She prayed that her cousin and friend could hear through the shouting and running Vikings. The dragons didn't help with the situation, as they pushed passed Finna. The young Haddock had to keep her hands from shoving the Vikings and dragons out of her way.

The two girls ran out of the closed barriers, meeting to Finna. Both looked rather worried, and kept their glances at each other.

"What's the matter?" Brenna asked.

Finna gulped. "Well… there _is_ a possibility that Drago Bludvist is on his way here."

" _Here_?" Adelaide asked.

"But don't worry. My brother, hopefully, has an army of dragons backing him up," Finna said, rather quickly. She gulped. "That is… if the Valkyrie allows him to."

"Okay, you _really_ need to stop with the whole _Valkyrie_ thing," Brenna said, with a roll of her blue eyes. "You have _n_ o proof that she's not something Hiccup made up to get out of marrying Heather."

Finna's mouth almost dropped. If Hofferson pissed her off in the past, she pushed _way_ too far this time. "Seriously? You're skeptical about _this_?" she asked. "This woman may be the only thing that can stop Drago-"

"Oi, Finna!" a man shouted. Finna directed her attention to the man, who appeared to be Hoark.

Wait. It _was_ Hoard.

"Some of the men are preparing ships. We thought it would be best to start up a pre-emptive strike by stopping the army by sea," Hoark said, through his wheezing breath.

Finna rubbed her chin thoughtfully. An attack on the water _would_ give Berk more time to prepare, and extra time for Hiccup to meet back up at Berk. _If the dragons took eyes in the sky, they could guide the ships to meet Drago's army._ The thought was very tempting, but Finna's mind went to the men and women willingly meeting the army.

"It'll be hard," Finna confessed. "Drago has many ships with him. He'll easily take down our defenses."

Hoark nodded, knowingly. "If what the Chief says is true about Drago, then I'd willingly give up my life if it meant peace for Berk."

Brenna's eyes immediately lit up. "We can notify the surrounding tribes of this. The Outcasts, Bog Burglars, and Meatheads are relatively close. I can send them"

Finna stopped her. "Let them know, then. Notify as many tribes as you can. Drago _will_ be attacking other tribes next, if he gets his hands on our dragons." She could feel the sweat come off her head. "I… Hoark, ready as many people as you can to the boats. But I want you to bring in minimal dragons as you can. The less dragons you have, the better. Drago will have traps ready."

Hoark nodded his head, and tapped his helmet. "Will do, Fin."

The young Haddock gave him the approval, and walked up the hill to the infantry. She paid no attention to the countless men and women who were preparing for war. Men and women under her command. People, her family, who were moments away from giving up their lives.

All because of a stupid mistake she made.

* * *

"Finna, you okay?" Adelaide asked.

 _No._ "Yea, I'll be fine," Finna said, as she reached into the squirming men and women, and pulled out a shield. She walked back out, and tried hard to ignore the thought behind her.

"You are _not_ fine," Brenna insisted. The blonde girl grabbed Finna's shoulder, and forced the girl down to sit. "Look, I know you're left here to make big decisions, but you _need_ to focus on here and now."

Adelaide nodded in agreement. "You have to think about what's best for Berk."

"Don't you guys think I'm _trying_ to do that?" Finna asked, rubbing her arms. "I… have to ask people to _die._ Because of my stupid mouth."

The two teens gave curious expressions to Finna.

"What are you talking about?" Adelaide asked.

Finna shrugged. "I may have convinced Drago to attack Berk."

The two girls glanced at each other for a long time. If Finna wasn't so caught up in the whole ordeal with an entire dragon army coming to slaughter Berk, she would have noticed the similarity in their eyes. How they showed caring… perhaps in the way they saw the new light of the situation?

"Finna, don't blame yourself," Adelaide insisted, her eyes now on Finna.

Finna shrugged. "But it's true, right? _I_ created this mess, because I thought that it would scare Drago." Her heart thumped loudly against her chest. Hard. "Now people are going to die."

Brenna could only nod, before adding, "Well… so what you alerted Drago? You weren't asked to lead a war. And you certainly went behind your parents to help Hiccup, right?"

"Gee, thanks for the uplifting message, Hofferson," Finna grumbled.

"What I'm trying to say is that you should move passed it," Brenna insisted. "Live up to your mistake. Take ownership in what you do. If you feel bad for sending these people to their deaths, then why not lead them?"

Finna and Adelaide's mouths hung down.

"What?" Brenna asked.

"You said something… inspiring," Finna noted.

"And for a stubborn Hofferson, I may add," Adelaide agreed. "Never thought that I would see the day…"

Finna smiled, sort of. Despite the truth in the girls' words, she felt better with the situation.

* * *

Five ships, filled with men and women of Berk, crossed the rough seas of the Archipelago. Their fasting distance from the island went swimmingly, but against the wind caused hardship for the ships. The clear air helped them navigate through the upcoming storm with great velocity.

However, these were _Hairy_ _Hooligans_. Their stubbornness could withstand any storm.

"Alright, men!" Hoark shouted. He glanced quickly, and noticed that half of the people on the ship were female. "And… women, of course." He coughed, clearing his throat. "Now, we need to press against the ships. Whatever happens, _no ship_ shall cross our turf!"

The men and women hollered in agreement.

"If we die, we die with honor!" Hoark shouted.

More hollers swelled up the noise of the ships.

 _Man, these people sure know how to die with honor…_ Hoark thought. He truly hoped that it was not the case that these people would die under his command…. But he had to. He would be the leader that they deserved. Even if it meant laying his life down.

He _really_ hoped that it would not come to that.

* * *

"And why exactly are we outside the action?" Snotlout asked.

He and Fishlegs stationed at the top of Berk, with their dragons Hookfang and Meatlug. The two had been standing up there for what felt like _hours,_ and the shorter Viking was looking for some action. He didn't want to spend his entire time watching for who knows what, when he could be down there proving his worth.

"Finna suggested that we watch for the Bewilderbeast," Fishlegs reminded him, petting Meatlug.

"And what is this thing, anyway?" Snotlout asked.

Fishlegs sighed. "From what I gathered with Heather, this dragon is bigger than a Red Death. Class Six Leviathan that has the diameter of at least seven of our own ships…"

Frankly, Snotlout stopped listening to Fishlegs at that time. Who cared that a dragon bigger than the Red Death would have other features either than it was big? Like… he should be down there, showing how brave of a Viking he was (because he _was_ the bravest Viking ever, no doubt).

"-This could be the most crucial moment of our lives," Fishlegs said, causing Snotlout to come back to.

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "If it was so crucial, then why did Stoick and Valka leave us under the management of Finna, huh? And now she thinks she's fit to _run_ this island into a war?" _It should be_ my _Dad running the island…_

 _Oh wait… there was that time he tried to grow fish in our garden…_

"She's the only Haddock remaining on Berk," Fishlegs reminded him. "If it were Stoick of Valka here, they would do what Finna's doing right now, anyway."

Snotlout didn't say, but he had to agree with Fishlegs' words. _He_ himself couldn't do anything about Drago coming here to attack Berk and take all of the dragons, but Snotlout was sure that he could very well stop Drago from trying. He owed it not to anyone but his home for that.

There was a slight chuckle from Snotlout. "So… I assume that you're no longer interested in Ruffnut?" he asked.

Fishlegs raised an eyebrow. "When was I ever interested in _Ruffnut_?" he asked, confused.

"Remember when you thought Tuffnut married you two?" Snotlout recalled, with a mischievous grin on his face. "Man, you were _so_ upset!"

"If I remember correctly, you had to bring in the ceremonial axe to a wedding between the Hoffersons and Jorgensons, and you lost it to a dragon who collects shiny metal objects for their scales," Fishlegs shot back.

The shorter Viking folded his arms in defeat. Fishlegs smiled in triumphant. "That could have happened to _anyone_! Besides, I was only asking because of Heather."

"W-what a-a-about Heather?" Fishlegs gulped.

 _Bingo._ "You like her."

"She's nice."

Snotlout walked closer to Fishlegs. Grinning. "But you _like like_ her."

"No, I don't!" Fishlegs insisted.

 _This is totally more fun than watching out for Drago's army…_ "Come on…. Admit it," Snotlout pushed. "You know you do…."

* * *

Beardhead landed his Gronkle on the Berk ships.

"Have you seen what's ahead of you?" he asked Hoark.

Hoark shook his head. "The fog's starting to pick up," he said. He gestured to the once clear sky that was now filling with fog. "Which is strange; I could have sworn that there was a clear sky out there…."

Beardhead sniffed it. "Wait…. That's not fog… that's black ash…" The bearded man held his hand up, and caught a piece of black wood floating in the air. "See how burnt it is? It's remainders of the wood that's being burnt."

Hoark blinked. "Are you saying that this madman has ships powered by a furnace?" he asked.

"I've only seen it once," Beardhead admitted, "with Dagur the Deranged. He attacked my village not too long ago, said he was looking for his long-lost sister or something"

"Do you remember the speed of the ships?" Hoark asked, interrupting the Chief's tale. "If we can buy Berk some time…"

Beardhead shook his head quickly, "Right, right. They came quickly through the waters.

"Hoark… you may want to see this…" Beardhead said, gesturing to the layout ahead of them.

Hoark's eyes blinked. "Oh, Gods…" he muttered, "Those are some _big_ ships."

 _Gods, if you're there, please be with us._

* * *

"Sir, there are ships coming our way," a soldier said.

Drago frowned. But it was not about the danger ahead. It was more of _annoyance._ The wind pushed their ships, but the ships thrusted back. "Then we push them out of our way." He turned around. "Push forward! Nothing is stopping us from attacking Berk!"

Men hollered in agreement.

* * *

Eret was in total shock.

He was hours, perhaps _minutes_ , away from facing Drago's army. The same army that contained the dragons that _he_ captured. The dragons that would now come to Berk and possibly rip him to shreds.

Damn, the gods sure knew lots about _irony._

"Do you see anything?" Finna asked the small, black-haired boy.

Ragnar pushed onto his binoculars, and shook his head. "No. There's a bunch of smoke, and-" he paused. "Wait!"

"What is it?" Finna frantically asked, pushing ahead. She grabbed a telescope from Ragnar's backpack and peered through it.

She gasped.

"Finna?" Eret asked. In good measures, Finna tossed the telescope to Eret. Worriedly, Eret brought the telescope to his left eye, and peered through it as Finna did.

The sight was _not_ what he had expected.

Berk's ships were turning around. Men and women drew their swords and axes, as Drago's army jumped the ships. The titanic ships crashed into the Hooligan boats, breaking them into many pieces into the sea.

"That's not good," Eret could only say.

"Spitelout! Make sure that all the children are kept indoors!" Finna shouted from beside him. Her hands grabbed for a hammer beside them, and she lifted it easily in her hand.

Eret heard the man shout "Will do!" on top of his Deadly Nadder. He disappeared from the scene, with the girl called Adelaide closely behind him.

Eret watched as the Hairy Hooliagns prepared for the upcoming battle. His nerves impulse with adrenaline, knowing full well what the Hooligans were up against. _Gods, if I have another chance at life, I might as well use it now._

Eret walked up to Finna, with his hand to his sword. "Finna, I must warn you: Drago _will_ push us back with everything he has."

"Yea, like the traps and all," Finna said.

"There's more," Eret insisted. "His dragons have tough armor on them, the same ones I have sold to him." He sighed. "When I captured them, they had to be molded down to make sure that they could not come off."

Finna frowned, as she processed the information. "Is there any way to take it off?" she asked.

"If Berk's dragons attack them, then you won't have to worry about shooting them down with arrows," Eret suggested. "Their armor is vulnerable to the teeth of Monstrous Nightmares, if I remember."

* * *

"Do not!" Fishlegs shouted.

"Do _too!"_ Snotlout retorted.

* * *

"I'll have Gustav attack the armor," Finna said. "He may not be the best with his dragon, but Fanghook can pull through anything."

Eret nodded in agreement, not exactly sure who _Gustav_ was _._ Perhaps the tiny little thing with the huge backpack? "Now... what should I do?"

"Err…" Finna ran over to Blizzard. "Get on her, and help with air support," she said.

Eret patted Blizzard's head gently. "I can do that… I think."

Another black-haired boy walked up to Finna. "I got the rest of the riders," he said, pointing to Lars and Ragnar. He looked up at Eret with confusion. "Who in the Nine Realms are _you_?"

"Eret, son of Eret," Eret introduced himself, extending his hand.

The boy frowned. "Alright… what are you doing with Finna's dragon?"

Eret, who tried to forget the rude display of his simple hand gesture, patted Blizzard affectionately. The dragon purred under his touch. "She trusts me."

"Oh, so you think you can take Finn's dragon now?" Gustav asked, accusingly.

Finna shoved Blizzard closer to Eret, pushing passed Gustav. "Yes he can, now get up in the air, Gustav!" she shouted. "There are freaking _armored dragons_ getting closer to our shores!"

Eret didn't say, but he was glad that the dragon trusted him to fly, because he was starting to doubt himself. _There is absolutely no way I can pull this off._ He literally just lost his position in the rankings for Drago's army, and he was running out of options. He was merely happy that Blizzard was the first person... _dragon_... to show him kindness and trust in a long time.

Blizzard merely groaned, and she rocketed up to the air.

"Thanks, girl," Eret said, the image of Finna becoming smaller by the moment. "At least _someone_ knows of my limitations."

Blizzard cooed with a dragon-like laughter.

* * *

From his ship, Drago watched as his men began to fight the Hairy Hooligans.

His men began to launch catapults and ballistas into the icy spires, causing dragons to emerge from the inside of what appeared to be barricades.

He smiled. _You will all belong to me._

The sight of dragon, with humans riding on their backs, swoop down to engage his men. They picked up soldiers, and carried them off to the water and threw them. Catapults hit both his army of men and the mountain on Berk, but Drago did not flinch.

Staff in hand, he descended down the ramp of the ship, and searched his surroundings. Berk. The one place he thought he wouldn't have to come. _Stoick the Vast left his land to Dragon Master…_ Drago grinned. _Stoick will soon be rolling in the pit where he burned._

His staff raised, and he pointed to the high mountain of Berk.

"Ready the traps!

* * *

 _This is_ not _good!_

Finna watched as Drago's army set traps up. The traps appeared to be iron jaws, opening like bear traps. Inside, there revealed to be screeching dragons.

Riding behind Brenna on her dragon Jaws, the two girls could only watch as one of Berk's dragons dived in to help, only to be caught in the fearsome jaws.

However, a second set of traps cocked up. Instead of dragon cries… Finna heard the distinctive sound Zippleback gas spraying out, along with the green gas to match it. There was only a single spark when-

 _ZAP!_

"Surprise, yea!" Tuffnut shouted.

"Dragon riders coming through!" Ruffnut added.

The two headed dragon emerged from the balls of fire, in a triumphant roar. Flames arose from their sides, but they did not pay much as any attention to it.

Finna smiled. _Got to love those twins, once in a while._

"What?" Drago shouted from below.

Heather came blasting out, with Windshear sending long blades into the men below. The silver dragon easily deflected the arrows and spears thrown at her. Windshear used her tail to knock men down, and diving up back in the air.

"Yea!" Finna shouted. Her fists joined in celebration.

"Go Heather!" Brenna agreed. "There goes your future sister-in-law!"

Finna could only smile, knowingly.

* * *

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do- wait, what's going on?" Fishlegs asked. He walked to the edge of the hill, and peered down. "Oh Gods!" he shrieked.

Snotlout rolled his eyes yet again. "So _I_ was right again, Mr. Dragon Book. Let's see you top-" he also peered down, and released a scream similar to a little girl's.

Berk was under attack.

"Oh dear Gods!" Fishlegs shouted. "We need to help them!" He immediately jumped onto Meatlug's back. The Gronkle moaned sadly. "Yes, yes, I know girl. But we need to help them," Fishlegs said soothingly to his dragon.

Snotlout worriedly jumped onto Hookfang's back. "So _now_ what?" he shouted.

"Just help them!" Fishlegs retorted back.

The shorter Viking sighed, as he guided his dragon to descend down to the battle. Where the rest of the Hairy Hooligans were fighting for their lives.

 _What did we get ourselves into?_

* * *

"Look whose here: ah Gustav!"

Fanghook set himself on fire, and dive-bombed the traps. The traps immediately went into flames, incinerating the yokes and leather bindings that were restraining the bait dragons. The dragons fled and flew away, unharmed.

Brenna, on top of her Deadly Naddar, flew down to Gustav and Fanghook. The Monstrous Nightmare quickly recovered its dive, and swooped up to escape a catapult. Fanghook then ran into an armoured dragon, and began to tear through the metal, leaving the dragon exposed. Now free, the dragon scurried behind the enemy lines, while Fanghook fired at it.

"Yea, you the Viking!" Brenna shouted.

Gustav grinned stupidly up at her, while Fanghook merely dodged arrows.

"Focus!" Finna insisted at Brenna, who shrugged back with a grin.

"Ready, Jaws?" Brenna asked her dragon.

The Deadly Nadder nodded, giving a convinced growl. He dived down to the ground, and shot with its spikes at the soldiers. The dragon was followed by a Gronkle with Lars on top, who knocked into the armoured dragons.

Finna held onto the Deadly Nadder tightly. "Damn, you're not very light with this dragon, are you?" she shouted, as she hit an upcoming armored dragon with her hammer.

"Deadly Nadders are stubborn dragons," Brenna admitted.

 _Hmm… Speaking of stubborn dragons… where is my brother and the Valkyrie?_

* * *

Anger surged within Drago.

The Hooligan dragons continued to press against his own and his men. The men and women fighting on foot made his men look pathetic, knocking them down easily. It didn't help that mere _children_ in the sky were commanding their dragons to attack.

He did not anticipate the Hairy Hooligans to fight back so… diligently.

 _How could… the riders…_

No! The dragons were _his!_ Only _he_ could control dragons. He spend _years_ hunting for a way to control them… he was _not_ going to fail today.

Bu he could not stop the lingering thought in his head:

 _They're better than I thought._

The thought was a deep poison, but Drago quickly sucked it out. He will _not_ fail today. Nor any day, for that matter. "Cut them down!" he shouted. " _No_ rider will defeat us today!"

* * *

"I don't see any more of those armoured dragons," Brenna noted.

Finna searched from behind her. "No… but-" a projectile suddenly launched in the air. Jaws swiftly moved out of the way. "Ah! Well, now they have _cannons_!"

Jaws made an unsure noise.

"Those don't look like cannons. Those are _catapults_!" Brenna corrected. She swayed Jaws more away, as large boulders launched from the catapults below. "But close enough!"

Finna grabbed on Brenna's seat for dear life. _Are these Hoffersons_ so _reckless that they can't even admit that they're defeated?_ She shook her head. "Fine. _I'll_ keep an eye on these catapults, and you worry about flying your dragon."

"Good," Brenna said, with a grin, "but just remember whose uncle you were named for."

 _She's never going to live that down, is she?_ Finna thought to herself. More catapults fired in their direction, but Finna made it her goal to keep them out of their way. "Okay, move left!" she shouted. Brenna obeyed, at the moment that a boulder went directly at them. "Now up!"

"I _see_ it!" Brenna insisted.

However, she moved too late. It was merely inches away from them when-

-a shriek of purple blew it up to pieces.

Both Brenna and Finna's heads move to pass the explosion. Their faces went from assumingly worried, to sheer joy, as they watched an ominous figure passed over their heads. Firing at the ice and dragons above. A duo that the whole world should fear.

Finna grinned. _Now the tables have turned._

Hiccup and Toothless were here.

* * *

From below, Drago heard the banshee sound.

 _I know that noise anywhere…_

His head turned to the sky. Watching the air. Waiting to see the familiar black streak in the sky. The same sound he had heard many years ago… the sound that every man in the Archipelago knew, but did not know the face to.

 _ZOOM!_

 _There!_

Faster than any dragon he had ever seen.

The Night Fury.

Drago grinned. "Dragon Master."

This _will_ be interesting.

* * *

 _Dear God, what have I done…._

 _Oh, and this is NOT going to end up the way you think it will. Somethings have to happen… but not what you think…._

 _I threw in some "Easter Eggs", things mentioned in "Dragons: Rise of Berk" and "Dragons: Race to the Edge", which I have been doing for this story._

 _BTW, the reason for the late update is that I'm working on the next three chapters. This was going to be one long chapter, but I decided to split it. Chapter 19 is finished, but needs some editing. Chapter 20 is halfway there, and I started on Chapter 21 in terms of outline._

 _Alrightie, see you guys soon! And have a good Easter weekend, if I don't see you :)_


	19. Confrontations

_Okay, so remember when I said I had the next three chapters ready? Well, I sort of split the chapters up. I'm currently working up to Chapter 23 right now._

 _Now… it took me a while to write out the next chapters fully. Because there are so many things going on and things I want to expose._

 _But… that means more action, right?_

 _Now… you'll notice that the chapter titles have changed in the drop-down menu. This is because I have decided to add the sequel (yes, I am making a sequel) with_ this _story. It will be called "Part II", since I have no name for it. However, I may call it "Prophecy" still._

 _By the way, this story has the second most views ever for me: nearly 30, 000 views (well, besides A Father's Love)! This is AMAZING! Thank you all for reading this story! I love you all!_

 _Okay… so I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. : )_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 19: Confrontations  
_

Hiccup smiled, as he and his dragon soared across the skies of Berk. He could feel the reminiscence of success in his veins, and he secretly loved the adrenaline. Toothless, from under him, chuckled in agreement.

"Nice work, bud!" Hiccup shouted.

The dragon cooed under Hiccup's praise.

Both dragon and rider flew across the lands of Berk, watching for any dragons or Hairy Hooligan in trouble. Each of their eyes peeled to the ground. Lurking with every inch. Eyeing their targets. They were one person, one dragon, at that moment.

Net launcher came up on their sight, and Hiccup did not have to guide Toothless on what to do next. The dragon took over, and warmed his mouth up. With a single blast, it shot from his mouth, and hit the launchers, knocking them onto their sides.

They blasted down, hitting and knocking each other down like dominos.

* * *

Stoick and Valka came in, using their weapons to hit the trigger lines of the launchers. The catapults fired, and netting the soldiers parading on Berk's shores.

The dragons inside broke themselves out, free.

Stoick smiled, looking up high in the air. "That's our son, Val."

"Yes, he is," Valka agreed.

* * *

Archers alongside the beach raised their arrows, and aimed at Stoick as Valka.

"Take them down!" one of them shouted.

"Heads up!" a voice shouted.

A rather large and slow dragon came flying across the beach, its massive tail hitting the archers down. They couldn't react in time to see what was hitting them, knocking unconscious.

Gobber chuckled from his dragon. "Never doubted you for a sec, Grump." He patted the dragon, who cooed happily.

* * *

From the air, Eret and Blizzard followed the soldiers. It has been somewhat difficult, but Eret quickly learned Blizzard's tactics, and followed through on hers. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a connection with her.

Blizzard growled at the sight of the soldiers, as they trapped dragons in the iron traps.

"Yea, I see it, girl," Eret said, knowingly. He patted her side. "Let's go down there and show them whose boss."

If the dragon could be understood by the ex-trapper, Blizzard would have been laughing.

"Blizzard, snowball!" Eret shouted.

The dragon dived down to the men, and released balls of snow at their feet. The men fell in their tracks, causing them to trip over the snow.

"Yea, you are the dragon!" Eret complimented, as the dragon roared in victory. He _really_ liked that move, especially since he wasn't on the other end of it. For good measures, he stroked the dragon's ear.

Gustav and Fanghook came up beside them. "Hey, you're not too bad," he admitted, before adding: "for a _rookie_."

"Thanks... I think," Eret said. He didn't admit it, but he was still unsteady being on Blizzard's back, despite the confidence he gained with her. He also ignored the comment coming from the teenager. "Is she usually this… er…?"

"Unstable?" Gustav suggested. He shrugged. "Well, she only trusts Finna. We've all tried to ride her at one point or another. She seems to tolerate you."

Eret raised an eyebrow. "But why does she trust me so quickly?"

"Who knows?" Gustav shrugged again, as he and his dragon dived down to pick up men.

The former trapper watched as Gustav's dragon dropped men from high in the sky to the deep waters around Berk.

"Whoa," was Eret's only words.

* * *

"Where are the rest of the Dragon Riders?" Hiccup asked Toothless.

" _Beats me,"_ Toothless muttered.

"You're a helpful lizard, aren't you?" Hiccup frowned.

" _I DO try, you know,_ " Toothless joked.

Dragon and rider flew through the air, and found Blizzard and Eret racing across the skies. Hiccup couldn't help but watch in amazement in how Eret was riding his _sister's_ dragons, of all dragons. _Wait... how did he join us?_

Hiccup watched as Finna and Brenna joined beside Eret, while on top of Jaws' back. He couldn't hear from where he was of what they were saying, but he assumed that Eret was discussing about riding Blizzard by himself.

"Come on, bud," Hiccup told Toothless, pointing toward his sister. As Toothless shot for Jaws, Adelaide and her dragon, Broadshot, joined the group.

"Welcome aboard, Dragon Rider," Hiccup said, gesturing to Eret.

Eret nodded, somewhat dumbfounded. "Yea… I think…"

" _Finally_ you decided to join the party," Adelaide said with a smirk.

Brenna raised an eyebrow. "Where the hell have _you_ been?"

"Were you tortured, or something?" Finna asked, giggling. "Because I can see you being tortured."

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, when you're stuck with a crazy Valkyrie, you tend to get sidetracked." He gestured skyward.

Confused, the younger riders look up.

Many miles away, a masked figure rose from the ocean from behind Berk. An earth-trembling roar follows as the Bewilderbeast rose behind Astrid. Her mask covers her face, as the gigantic dragon emerges from the depths of the ocean, riding on top of her Deadly Nadder.

" _That's_ the _Valkyrie_?" Brenna asked, in total shock.

Finna grinned. "Told you so."

With a roll of her eyes, Brenna dug into her pockets and handed Finna gold coins. Finna merely took them and hid them away, without another word.

Hiccup chuckled. _Same old Finna._

* * *

As did many of his troops, Drago glanced up to the sky.

"The Alpha…" he said, with _some_ surprise. "Away from his pack…."

It was surprising; not even a chief would leave their home unprotected. He knew dragons; dragons may have been cold-blooded killers, but they were not so different from Vikings. _Vikings_ could show restraint…

He grinned. " _Now_ we have a fight."

* * *

From the skies, Hiccup kept his eyes on Astrid.

Although her mask covered her face, he knew that she wore her "determined" look: the one that he had view of since the moment he laid eyes on her. The moment she decided that he wasn't a threat. That no one could get passed her.

He smiled under his own mask. _I pray that she decides to stay here…_

A small frown emerged. _But what if she still hates the Hairy Hooligans?_ He had no doubt that she could see what the Hooligans were capable of, right? He saw it; even though he lived it. These men, blindly following Drago, were the real enemies. Not the Hooligans.

Suddenly, Astrid blasted overhead on Stormfly. Behind her, she waved her hands, and some of the nests' dragons followed in pursuit.

Without second thoughts, the dragons obeyed her, swooping down and attacking Drago's army. Whether it be the men fighting alongshore, or the dragons with impenetrable armor, neither parts of the army could withstand the might of the Valkyrie's control.

 _Ata, girl_ , Hiccup thought, with a smile.

This _is why I named her the Valkyrie Among Dragons._

A swarm of Zipplebacks set themselves aflame and roll like fiery wagon wheels through the battlefield, scattering soldiers and destroying war machines. One of them gets caught under a Dragon Swatter.

"There! Come on, Toothless!" Hiccup commanded, pointing towards the trapped Zippleback. "Show them what you got, bud."

Without a second thought, Toothless dived down. Passing the swatter, Toothless fired a plasma bolt at the swatter, and immediately destroys it! The dragon inside escaped without further damage.

Hiccup smiled, patting his brother. "Thatta boy!"

" _See? I CAN be helpful,"_ Toothless retorted.

* * *

Astrid smiled, as she watched Hiccup fight.

His tactics were effortless, and he even guided Toothless so that they weren't hurting the dragons in their traps. She didn't admit it aloud, but she knew that she had been wrong to accuse Hiccup of enslaving dragons. It was a small moment, and she agreed with her new thougths… that Hiccup was true to his word.

" _I see that you're growing fond of Hiccup,"_ Icespitter said, knowingly.

Astrid blushed. " _I never said that…"_

 _"Ah, but I see it in your eyes,"_ Icespitter growled, with a smirk. " _You feel the closeness between you."_

The young woman shook her head. " _You know, I could see myself living here one day,"_ she said.

Icespitter smiled up at her, knowingly. " _Too bad that there are mostly humans that live on this island."_ He searched the skies. " _I'll go see if I can find myself this Drago Bludvist character."_

" _Sure thing,"_ Astrid agreed. Petting Stormfly's head, she added: "Stormfly, perhaps we should do our own fair share of fighting."

" _I couldn't agree better,"_ Stormfly said, with a smile. She roared, and dove down.

The pair of sisters followed through the skies, and caught a spiraling Gronkle. From above them, an armoured dragon roared menacingly, but Stormfly shot her tail spikes at the open edges. The dragon groaned in pain before falling down in the sandbanks of Berk.

Astrid held her arrows up high. _This is not what I expected…_ She watched down in the ground, as Vikings and dragons worked together to fight Drago's army. The way they fought in sync… it was breathtaking. The dragons didn't merely listen to the commands of their humans, they actually _did_ it together. Just like what Hiccup told her.

Is _this what Icespitter meant when he told me that the two species should live in harmony?_

She found her target from below, and aimed. Without much of as a flinch, she fired her arrow at the unassuming soldiers from below.

Within seconds, the five men below her fell down, defeated by arrows in the shoulders.

* * *

Suddenly, a net enveloped over Stormfly.

" _Flametorch!"_ Stormfly shouted.

The young woman quickly drew out her small sword. Cutting through the ropes. Hurryingly. _Snip! Snip! Snip!_ She didn't think twice, as the pair of them hit the ground mere seconds after freeing. Stormfly immediately fought through the ropes, and climbed out.

It was there that she met Drago for the first time.

A war was ensued around them, dragons versus dragons, man versus man, and weapons of such flying around them. People and dragons alike were being pulled apart or slaughtered. Families were dying, and cries of pain echoed throughout the island.

But all that mattered, was the murderous man that stood before Astrid.

She was here.

It was just him.

Him and her.

* * *

Hiccup searched through the skies.

In the distance, he spotted Blizzard with Eret, as he plundered down armoured dragons. The smooth transition of both rider and dragon were equal and listened to each other. Hiccup smiled. _I guess this guy's not too bad after all. He has a good handle of Finn's dragon.  
_

He even saw the rest of the old and new Dragon Riders fighting alongside each other. In the distance, his parents aided each other with Gobber.

 _But where is…_

"Bud, have you seen Astrid?" he asked.

Toothless' ears dived down. " _I haven't seen her since our flight over the ocean."_ In emphasis, he released a sad groan. " _Should we go looking for her?"_

* * *

Drago hissed, as he slowly eyed Astrid.

"Is _this_ the Valkyrie I keep hearing about?" He released a laugh that sounded too familiar to a wild animal's cackle. "I was expecting someone a little… _bigger_."

"Drago Bludvist," Astrid hissed in return. "You're shorter than what I have expected."

"Funny," Drago admitted. He cocked his bull hook up over his head, ready to strike at Astrid. The young woman drew her sword up, blocking the swing of Drago's weapon. She stood back up swiftly, and swung at Drago.

"You will _pay_ for attacking Berk." It was not a threat; it was a _death sentence._ How _dare_ he attack the innocent dragons of this island!

 _And Hiccup's family_ ¸ Astrid added quickly.

She raised her staff, ready.

* * *

As much as Hiccup believed that Astrid could handle herself, Hiccup could not help but feel worry and the feeling of adrenaline pursing through his veins. Something caused him to feel anger inside, and aggression for a particular person. Like a burning feeling.

He felt his hands.

They were… _shaking._

 _What… what's happening?_

 _"You okay?"_ Toothless asked, worriedly.

Hiccup shook his head, the burning sensation subsiding to a low ache. "Yea… I'm okay, bud." He patted the dragon's head in reassurance. "I'll be okay."

 _But where was she?_

* * *

Nothing was stopping her.

Astrid's strikes were lower, aiming for his knees. Drago swung his bullstaff with greater velocity, but his taller stance stopped him from hitting lower than his torso.

Anger pulsed through Astrid's body, and she could feel her dragon flame burning within her. Each smack of her blade against Drago was an extension of her dragon heritage. In this moment, _she_ was a dragon.

She was truly Flametorch.

The Valkyrie Among Dragons.

Drago, as strong as he was, staggered slightly from her impulses. Astrid's small figure aided in her flexible motions, catching Drago off-guard a few times.

Flametorch smiled.

The much taller man looked down, only for a moment. Astrid knew: he was catching his breath. He merely wiped the side of his mouth, where it hung down in its frozen frown. _He could have been a formidable opponent, if he could swing like one,_ she thought, amusingly.

"Your skills are formidable, Valkyrie," Drago noted, darkly. "Perhaps there is use for you in my dragon army."

Astrid's mind didn't have to process the words. "Like Hell I would." Her staff raised up, and she attacked him again.

Drago smiled, blocking her attacks "You have a fire within you, I'll give you that."

He shrugged, as she encircled Astrid, his long cape made of dragon scales coming off him. However, Astrid mimicked his movements, with her sword out held. Drago did not flinch. "Once these dragons are mine, you can die with the rest of Berk."

"I don't die easily," Astrid said, with a smirk look. "I've seen what these Vikings are capable of." She held her sword up in defense. "You'd be unwise to fight them."

Drago glared at her with anger.

"These dragons," Astrid said, gesturing her head to around her, "are not controlled by the Alpha. They are peacefully living among the humans."

A sound escaped from his mouth, sounding too much like the one he made when he first saw her: inhuman. Dragonlike.

"Then it's a good thing that I have brought them a new master."

Before Astrid could say anything, Drago shouted. But it was not a shout. It was a holler. A dragon scream. Something _definitely_ not human.

She looked to the beaches, and gasped.

* * *

Heavy chains released from the ships of Drago's army.

A humongous creauture broke through the surface of the water. Breaking the ships around it. The seawater rose away from it, causing tidals beyond Berk's borders. Two large tusks rose first, followed by the creature's head.

It was a Bewilderbeast.

* * *

" _Another_ one?" Hiccup asked, horrified.

* * *

The new Bewilderbeast was far bigger than Icespitter.

Not only did its scales appear darker than Icespitter, the dragon's tusks were fashioned with chains on its tusks. Its eyes glowed red, showing history of trauma in its past. Astrid could tell that the dragon must have been around the same age as Icespitter; its mighty tusks showed its maturity and age.

It trampled along the shores of Berk, crushing Drago's men underneath its heavy feet. The dragon released icy breath, causing Hooligans to be trap inside.

"This is _not_ good," Astrid whispered.

* * *

Heather rounded about, and flew over to Finna and Brenna.

But the sight of the Bewilderbeast-

It was _huge._

"Oh, dear Gods," Heather gaped.

 _We were_ way _off… CLASS TEN!_

* * *

"Well, that's fantastic," Finna said, dumfounded.

Brenna eyed the dragon. Its menacing appearance caused everyone on the ground to run away in fright. "So _now_ what? There's no way we can stop _that_ thing!"

"I have a feeling that the Valkyrie's dragon can handle _him_ ," Finna assumed, "but as for the-"

 _BLAST!_

A huge spray of ice shot out from the dragon's mouth.

Aiming _right_ for them!

"Dive! Dive!" Finna commanded.

Brenna moved Jaws away from the blast. "I'm trying! I'm trying!"

* * *

Windshear staggered away from the dragon blasts, zipping in tight formations.

"Steady, girl. Steady," Heather told her, comfortingly. She looked across the island, and saw Finna in trouble. "Come on, Windshear. We need to go help her!"

The dragon flew down and spun in the air. She hurridly flew for the two girls, as the Deadly Nadder tried desperately to keep them onboard.

Heather had Windshear drop under Jaws, and caught Finna.

"Well, _thanks_ for that!" Finna acknowledged.

Heather shrugged. "Don't mention"

 _SPPPRAYYY!_

Heather felt herself being knocked off of Windshear.

"Finna!" she shouted.

But Finna didn't do anything.

Heather screamed.

 _She_ was the one falling.

* * *

Fishlegs searched the skies.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" he shouted. "What an idoit! I didn't think the dragon would be _that_ big." He rubbed Meatlug's neck. "And Finn! Dear gods, I told her I'd keep an eye for"

"AHHHH!"

Fishlegs looked down.

"Heather!" he shouted.

Heather fell from the skies.

 _OH GODS!_

Fishlegs pointed. "Meatlug, go!"

Meatlug dived down to Heather as she fell, and Fishlegs swiftly lifted her up and behind him. Fishlegs tried to hold onto her as tighty as he could, making sure that she didn't fall off.

"Heather, are you okay?" he asked, worriedly.

"Fishlegs…." Heather said, rather dizzy.

* * *

Drago sneered, holding his bullhook in the air.

"Come on! Take down the alpha!" he demanded.

Astrid's attention immediately went back to Drago. His attention was no longer on her. She held her sword high up, and came down to knock him out.

However, she did not anticipate Drago's hand grabbing at her handle.

He pushed forward, knocking Astrid down on her back. Drago pinned her down with his foot. His entire body mass against her.

She was in no position to move anywhere. His extremely heavy weight caught her between the ice on Berk and the force of Dragon on top of her. She tried to move. Nope. No use. Her hips shook, trying to wiggle out of her desperate situation.

The bullhook knocked her sword out of her hand forcefully.

Next, her mask.

Air refused to enter her lungs.

 _This cannot be the way I go!_ Astrid thought.

The bullhook raised up.

Ready to strike.

Astrid closed her eyes-

 _WHAM!_

* * *

Astrid raised an eyebrow. _What the-?_

-and saw Stoick standing there.

He raised an eyebrow, with a little smile. He gestured his hand out to her.

 _What… why is he-?_

"Th... thank you," Astrid said, dumbfounded. She willingly took his hand and stood herself back up. She tried to ignore his stronger grip, the grip that his son inherited, that was gentle and soft at the same time.

Stoick winked at her. "Don't mention it." He drew out his hammer. "Do you think you can stop those two?"

Astrid nodded, although she was still a little dumbfounded from the events. "I'll do my best." She turned, and ran for her sister. "Come on, Stormfly!"

* * *

Valka held a sword out, but her eyes followed Astrid.

Stoick knew. Being married to her for over twenty years allowed him to do so. "Val, go and help her. I doubt it will take just a chat to separate them." He raised his hammer. "I can handle _him_ ,"

There was a small pause from his wife. "Alright," Valka agreed.

Stoick watched her quickly jump on Cloudjumper's back, and joined the sky.

He held his hammer out, as he kept his eyes on Drago. The scarred man slowly got up to his knees, pushing himself up. The man dropped his heavy cloak and encircled Stoick in a menacingly manner.

"You…" Drago said, with a knowing frown.

A look of utter demise.

Drago lunged forward at Stoick with his bullhook swiping, threating to kill. He caught Stoick's swings of his hammer with high altitude. If Stoick knew what true fury was, he was staring down at it in the eyes of the man whom he thought long dead. There was no denying the power in Drago's swings.

"I watch you _burn_!" Drago shouted.

Stoick grinned, as he punched his way through the staff. His hammer easily swung at the staff, clashing in a loud bang noise. The tension of the slashes was like nothing he had come across in a long time, and he was loving the adrenaline.

 _It takes more than a little fire to kill me!_ Stoick thought to himself, with a smile.

* * *

Astrid patted Stormfly's back. " _Easy, sister. Make sure to stay out of their way long enough."_

 _"Yea, well THAT will be difficult,"_ Stormfly agreed, flying around Icespitter. " _I can sense a lot of rage from this dragon. From both, actually."_

 _Strange,_ Astrid admitted. _Why would two dragon shave so much hatred for each other?_

"What can I help with?" Valka asked, riding Cloudjumper.

Astrid waved her staff. "Get them apart." _I don't know how Drago came into the possession of another, especially after so long…._ She waved her hands. "It should confuse both of them for a while."

Valka nodded, and her hands mimicked of those of Astrid's.

* * *

Icespitter growled at the sight of the other Bewilderbeast.

" _No….You're alive."_ His tone was grounded, but shaken.

" _Funny you should say that,"_ the darker Bewilderbeast sneered, " _You aren't looking too well, are you? I think you know your time is near…."_

 _"Hati,"_ Icespitter shouted. He shoved the Bewilderbeast down, using his tusks to show his strength. " _You do not have to follow this man! You need to stop making these innocent dragons carry on your terrible deeds!"_

" _STOP THIS!"_ Astrid commanded, as she swung her staff. She kept the staff high in the air, over her head in a helicopter spiral. " _This ends NOW!"_

The dragons did not respond. Their great plight was too much for both Valka and Astrid to withstand, and they held onto their own dragons to keep from being in the middle of the ferocious battle.

"Why aren't they listening?" Valka asked.

Astrid didn't answer.

* * *

" _Skoll,"_ Hati retorted, with a bash of his head against Icespitter, " _For someone so wise, you do not show the true wisdom of a leader. And you have no idea what has begun. There_ will _be the End on the world, and the dragons will have to defeat the humans."_

Astrid felt herself weakening at her failure with the dragons. Why couldn't Icespitter _listen_? What was it that he was fighting with Hati about?

 _"Not if the Souls stop the End first,"_ Icespitter shouted. He stood up on his hind legs, and used his forelegs to push Hati. The latter dragon fell down on his back. " _And they will stop you, if they must!"_

 _"If there is death in this world,"_ Hatii said, with a deep growl. He slowly got to his feet. " _Then there is no use of the Souls. The Old King was a fool to think that two humans would unite the two worlds!"_

The fight between the dragons went higher in scale. Berk's mountain became a lever for the two dragon's dauntless battle, sprinting at each other with their immobile runs. Tusks locked onto tusks.

Astrid felt defenseless to stop them.

Hatii frowned. " _You shouldn't have so much faith in these humans, Brother. It's not becoming of you."_

 _"You dare call me brother after what you've done?"_ Icespitter asked, knocking Hati again.

Astrid gasped.

 _Brother?!_


	20. Let Me Show You

_So I noticed that there wasn't very much reviews for the last chapter? I can only assume that this is because it sounds like the movie… but there is something that happens that I didn't want to add._

 _I will say that something happens, but not in the way you think._

 _Also, I know I have updated this about two days ago (since when did that last happen? XD), but I thought you guys deserved a new update (even though this chapter's about 3,000 words)._

 _Don't forget to review and tell me what you think :)  
_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 20: Let Me Show You_

Hiccup heard the dragon's words.

 _Brother?!_

How… how did it-

Hiccup stopped.

It all made sense.

The dragon in Icespitter's tale. The one sibling whom Icespitter refused to kill.

…

 _"I was inches away from winning my title as King, but he was injured beyond compare. It was when my telepathy activated, and I saw something dark in my brother's mind. It wasn't his thoughts, per say, but a vision: he was controlling a dragon to kill other dragons, and killing humans in the process. I was suddenly frightened, but I didn't have the strength to end his life. So I allowed him to live."_

 _Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "But if you let him go, doesn't that mean than he's out there somewhere?"_

 _"Perhaps," the Bewilderbeast said, "and perhaps not. The world is far bigger than even I can admit to."_

 _…._

Killing dragons _and_ humans…

 _He must have joined with Drago, who made him into his slave._ Hiccup gripped on Toothless' harness tighter. _If Drago can control that Bewilderbeast…_

 _He can control our dragons…._

Hiccup grabbed close to Toothless. "Bud, new plan: keep away from the Bewilderbeasts!" he shouted, as he covered Toothless' ears. "I don't want either of them to control you, too…"

* * *

"You were supposed to be dead!" Drago shouted with aggression, his anger matching his hits. He was strong against Stoick, but the lack of use of his left arm kept him vulnerable. However, the swings were proven deadly.

Stoick forced himself not to smile, as he slashed at Drago. His motions mimicked Drago in their forensic battle, one man against another. "And you knew better than to attack an armed island," he retorted, "At least, I'm _sure_ you would know this."

Drago sneered.

His hook finally caught on Stoick's hands. The hammer went flying, and went soaring somewhere that Stoick could not see.

There was a small moment of hesitation from Drago.

The right moment.

"Stoick!"

The Chief's hand reached up, and caught the flying mace from above him. The slow dragon in the air merely released a growl, as his rider smiled in triumphant.

Stoick grinned, and landed a direct hit at Drago.

* * *

Icespitter roared, and pushed down against his brother. Astrid could only watch the intense hatred in both of the dragons' eyes as they fought vigorously at each other. Icespitter pushed the dragon, causing Hati to knock down.

" _Do not force me to destroy you, brother,"_ Icespitter warned _. "I may have loved you, but I will stop at nothing to protect the dragons of this world."_

 _"Protect?"_ Hati roared. The darker dragon used his tail to kick under Icepsitter's feet. The white dragon fell down, causing a mammoth earthquake on the beaches of Berk.

Icespitter tried hard to get back up, but Hati grunted his weight on him. Pressing down hard on the dragon. Forcing no movement on Icespitter.

" _No… this is protecting_ ," Hati sneered, lightly.

There was silence from Astrid.

She could only watch.

Hati plunged his tusks.

Right.

Into.

Icespitter.

* * *

" _Icespitter!"_ Astrid shouted.

The once great dragon fell at the feet of the Bewilderbeast. For good measures, Hati pressed down on the downed dragon's face. Hindering his lack of movement.

Hati roared to the sky in triumphant.

Astrid could only watch in horror, as the dragons down on the ground began to shake. All of the dragons… were surrounding Hati. Their eyes… no longer full of life. They were now under the command of the Alpha. The new Alpha.

They all looked up at the new Alpha, and swarm up high on the dragon. Blindly bowing to the new murderous Alpha. Swarming their new leader. Without hesitation.

She shook her head. "Stormfly, block it out!" she shouted.

" _I'll try, but this call is VERY persuasive!"_ Stormfly shouted back, trying to fly away far from the new Alpha.

" _He is very strong, I will give you that!"_ Cloudjumper agreed.

* * *

Drago smiled.

The Alpha was down.

His dragon was the last one standing.

"We've won."

Drago pointed his bullhook toward Astrid and Valka.

Hauntingly. Viciously.

"Now finish them!"

* * *

Stoick's first instinct went to Valka, who was in the air with Cloudjumper. Not too far away from the Bewilderbeast. He whirled around and saw his beloved wife in the new Alpha's sight.

"No!" Stoick shouted.

The remaining Bewilderbeast locked onto Valka and Astrid. He made a smirk, while he inhaled. With a blast, ice speared from his mouth, hitting against the side of Berk.

 _Oh no!_

"Hold on!" Stoick shouted. He ran for his dragon, and leaped onto him. Spurring in the air, he shouted: "Come on, Gobber!" In good measures, he threw his friend's mace at him.

Gobber panted, as he ran for Grump, and caught the mace midair.

"Right behind ya!"

* * *

Ice hit Cloudjumper's tail.

" _Oh dear!"_ Cloudjumper shouted. " _Flametorch, you may need to come in!"_

Astrid jolted Stormfly closer to him. "Valka, jump on!" she shouted.

Valka immediately obeyed, but not before the throng of oncoming dragons came flushing in. Proving too much for the older woman.

Astrid grabbed her hand, and pulled her up.

Suddenly, another shot of ice fired at them.

Astrid's hand immediately froze.

Literally.

The impact of the ice caused her to lose her grip. Nearly did she fall off her own dragon. But… there was Valka.

Gone.

"No!" Astrid shouted.

Stormfly looked around, confused. " _Where did she go?"_

At that moment, Stoick leaped off his dragon, and ran to catch Valka. It was a simple act of heroism if Astrid ever saw one.

* * *

"Stop this now, Drago!" Hiccup demanded.

He landed Toothless a few meters away from Drago. Slowly, he removed his helmet, and threw it aside. With some encouragement, he held his hand on Inferno.

Drago took a moment, and stared at Hiccup for what seemed like an eternity .Hiccup did his best to keep his emotions at bay. But he could not, for seeing what this man was capable of. The man that brought death and destruction to his home. His _family_.

And all Drago did was _stare._

" _This_ is the great Dragon Master?" Drago asked. He eyed the boy incredulously, and began to chuckle. "The son of Stoick…. He must feel _such_ shame."

Toothless released a low snarl. " _Let me fire at him!"_

Hiccup held out his hand to the dragon. "No, Toothless." He frowned. "All this loss, and for what?" he asked. He stood taller with every word, and moved closer to Drago. "To become unstoppable? To _rule_ the world?"

An unsettling smile rose from Drago's face, and he turned away from the duo.

"Listen, Drago. You don't have to take the dragons," Hiccup pleaded, gesturing to himself and Toothless. "They are kind, _amazing_ creatures that can bring people together."

"Or tear them apart," Drago said, as he removed his prosthetic arm.

Hiccup stared, too long, at where Drago's arm used to be. In the same case, he too glanced down at his prosthetic for a brief moment. It would have been stupid for Hiccup to not see the connections between himself and similar appearances to a missing limb.

But he didn't say anything.

"You see, I used to have a family, and a home, before _they_ came. Creatures all in black, with nothing but the night sky to hide them. Tore everyone, my village, apart as though they were cheap leather."

Hiccup could only image the destruction of the dragons. The ones that matched the description of a Night Fury….

"I know what it is to live in fear. But…" He latched his arm back on his shoulder. "Even as a boy, left with nothing, I vowed to rise above the fear of dragons, and liberate the people of the world." He held his bullstaff, and encircled Hiccup menacingly, and slowly. "But I rose above it. I saw an opportunity to use dragons. Their power, their _strength_ …"

 _So… it was because of Drago's dark past that caused him to turn to evil_ … Hiccup could feel the burning memory of where his leg _used_ to be. To think that, at one point in his life, his thoughts were similar to Drago's, who stalked him as prey. A time where he thought he could rise above his fear of dragons…

* * *

Astrid hid Stormfly behind the ice pillars.

"What now?" Valka aksed.

From behind them, the icy dragon's nose did its best to track Astrid.

An idea formed in Astrid's head.

"I'm gonna draw him out," she confirmed, "then you two find a way to get out."

Valka shook her head. "I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself for us."

"I may not have to," Astrid said, wholeheartedly. "If I can get out, I can go find Hiccup and Toothless." And she meant it. She didn't know where the young man was, and she feared that Drago somehow got to him first.

Valka nodded, in understanding. "Find our son," she said. Stoick turned his head and nodded at Astrid.

* * *

"Why take dragons, then?" Hiccup asked. It was not a complete question; he was buying more time. He looked directly at Drago. Intensely. "Why, when you can kill them?"

The smile returned, but it was smugger than before. "Well, you need dragons to conquer other dragons." He seemed indifferent in his voice.

"Or maybe you need dragons to conquer people," Hiccup said. The wind blew at his head, and he could not hear his own thoughts. But his mind was at the here and now. He wasn't going to let Drago leave his sight. Not now. "To control those who follow you… and to stop those who won't."

Drago chuckled. "Clever boy."

 _Twisted._

"Look, the world wants peace, and we have the answer here, on Berk," Hiccup insisted. His hands were up, as though he were taming a dragon. "Just… let me _show_ you."

If he could convince his father of the dragons… then he could change Drago's mind. He did it with the rest of Berk. His parents. His sister. His friends.

 _Astrid._

"No!" Drago shouted, moving closer to Hiccup. "Let _me_ show _you_!"

With confidence, he yelled high vigorously. The staff seemed to move on its own, winding over his head. Hati roared, and left the swarm of dragons to follow Drago.

Hiccup found himself backing away from the dragon, the one hundreds of miles away, and keeping his hand on Toothless.

 _I've got a bad feeling about this._

* * *

Astrid gazed down.

 _Oh no._

Her sights went to Drago, whose staff waved in the air. Her direction then quickly went to the Bewilderbeast, who began to advance to Drago.

"Ancestors…" she gasped. She landed her dragon, and looked over at Stormfly. "Get out of here!" she shouted.

" _I'm not leaving you, sister!"_ Stormfly cawed. Her wings flapped, but Astrid kept shoving her away. " _I swore to Mom that I wouldn't!"_

 _"Go, NOW!"_ Astrid demanded.

Sadly, the dragon left.

Astrid grabbed her sword from her back, and ran at Drago.

* * *

Advancing to Drago-

 _WHAP!_

Bludvist held his staff up, and blocked her attack. Astrid held out for her smaller dagger, and punched at Bludvist. The man continued to block her attacks, and pushed her.

" _I know what you are about to do_ ," Astrid hissed, pushing against Drago. " _And you will pay for the death of the King."_

The taller man pushed his staff against Astrid's sword.

His eyes focused on her.

Smiling.

" _You have no idea, Valkyrie_ ," Drago said.

Astrid dropped her gaze for a moment. _How… how can he-_

However, it was all Drago needed. The taller man hit and pushed Astrid down to the ground. Astrid tried with all her strength to get back up, but Drago's foot squished down on her chest. On her centre of gravity.

"Drago! Leave her alone! This is between you and me," Hiccup said, igniting Inferno.

Astrid's eyes darted to Hiccup.

 _I originate my first thought: men_ are _idiots._

Drago chuckled. He pinned Hiccup down from behind. Drago's foot kept Hiccup from trying to escape.

"You could have joined me," Drago said to Astrid, as he jabbed his staff on Hiccup.

Astrid tried to ignore the painful sound that came from his mouth, but it was too difficult. "Stop it!" Astrid shouted.

Drago didn't move. "You have so much potential… this… raw talent… but you decided to help this _pathetic_ Dragon Master instead." On the word _pathetic,_ he jabbed harder into Hiccup. "What a shame that now, even humans and _dragons_ don't want you."

If Astrid was bent on killing Drago… she showed no intentions of it now. Her sword wavered slightly. Swinging back up again.

 _You'll never truly belong._

 _You're a freak!_

"Don't listen to him, Astrid!" Hiccup shouted. Drago's foot slammed harder into Hiccup's chest, causing the boy to lose his voice. "Don't…"

Astrid inched closer, but Drago's bullstaff came higher. The Valkyrie made no attempt to push his luck; she knew what he was to do. Or... what he _threatened_ to do. She couldn't risk Hiccup's life like that.

"Fortunately, there are more dragons on your island." He lifted his foot off Hiccup, but not before kicking the man. Painfully.

Drago pointed to Toothless.

Astrid gulped.

* * *

The Bewilderbeast gazed down at Toothless.

" _It's pointless to resist,"_ Hati growled.

-causing his eyes to shake.

Toothless started to shake as well. He kept his head down, and began to moan in pain. The dragon's eyes closed almost immediately, and he tried to cover his ears with his paws.

Astrid ran over to Toothless. " _No! Toothless!"_

Hiccup raised his eyebrow, as he held his side. _What's going on…?_

Drago plunged his staff in front of her, forcing her to stop. She flipped in the air, and fell down on her back.

"What," Hiccup walked closer to Toothless. "Bud, are you okay?" He looked at Astrid. "What's the matter with him?"

Then it clicked in.

 _The Bewilderbeast of old are known to have taken control of dragons._

Hiccup gasped.

* * *

Astrid shoved the stick off. "Hiccup, run!" she shouted.

 ** _Attack him._**

 _What?_

Astrid's eyes went to the Bewilderbeast.

 ** _The boy. Kill him._**

Her hands went to her ears. _No!_ She immediately went to the ground. _I won't kill him!_ She staggered away from Drago, facing downward to the snow.

 ** _You have no choice, Dragon Soul!_**

Her ears and head rung with the most painful noise she ever heard. Louder than a dragon's roar. It was the call of a high-pitched hiss. Blocking the sound did no good; she was as good as gone. She cried out, trying to keep some of her humanity.

 _Why?!_

* * *

The way the girl flinched, it was... familiar.

Drago could only watch as the supposed _Valkyrie_ , the most deadly hunter that he had heard so much about... was shaking as much as a dragon. Her instinctive movement to smash the ground... the violent shrieking...

It was a dragon.

Drago smiled. "This is interesting…" he hissed.

* * *

Stoick searched. Hard.

"Where's Hiccup?" Stoick asked.

Valka shook her head. "Stoick… I think he's with Astrid."

Stoick's eyes filled with anger. "And where did _she_ go?"

Valka couldn't answer. She didn't have the words to… fearing that the worst had happened. But where could they go? The Bewilderbeast was sniffing them out as they stood there.

Stoick raised his hand. "Gobber, is there any way you can distract that thing?"

"I'll do my best, as always," Gobber said, raising his mace.

* * *

 _Never!_ Astrid thought.

How could she kill the only human who showed with the amount of caring and human nature that she thought she could never get? She _couldn't_ kill him!

 _No._

The dragon… the dragon could sense the Dragon within her. He thought… he was certain that he could control any dragon. He _knew_ she was a Dragon Soul.

She may have the Achieve Soul, but she was a human.

And she saw that.

She. Was. Huma.

"Go to Hell," she whispered.

* * *

Hiccup was defenseless.

His dragon. Down.

Astrid. Down.

 _Drago…._

Drago was in control.

"Witness true strength and power," Drago said. "In the face of it…."

The dragon growled in pain.

"You. Are. _Nothing_."

Toothless' eyes opened, but his pupils were no longer thick. They were now thin slits. He slowly turned around, and faced Hiccup.

The words of Icespitter returned:

 _They no longer could decide for themselves._

"Uh… what did he just tell you?" Hiccup asked, worriedly.

* * *

Drago took the opportunity to grab Astrid again. This time, he made sure that she could not escape. In his right hand, he pointed the staff at Toothless.

Astrid struggled under the grip of Drago. _Let go of me!_

"If you will not join me, then I shall make you so."

 _Not on your life!_ Astrid tried as hard as she could to remove herself from Dragon's grip, but his was much mightier than her struggle.

But she could only watch as Toothless preyed upon Hiccup.

 _No… he can't…._

Astrid smacked Drago across the head, and used the time to run.

* * *

"Bud!" Hiccup shouted, backing away from the dragon. "Snap out of it!"

 _Night Fury._

The dragon's stance staggered closer to Hiccup. Blindingly. Hiccup didn't know how Toothless could still move, even under the control of the Bewilderbeast. But it was a position that Hiccup _really_ wished he could escape.

 _Speed: Unknown._

Inching closer. Hiccup instinctively moved backward. His metal leg dragged behind his stepping.

 _Size: Unknown._

The dragon's mouth opened.

 _The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself._

Hiccup moved back again.

 _Never engage this dragon._

He could feel his heart beating, with every beat against his head.

 _Your only chance of surviving:_

The plasma glowed in the dragon's mouth.

 _Run and pray that it does not find you._

Plasma.

* * *

Astrid ran.

"Hiccup!" she shouted.

Toothless breathed in.

Hiccup was trapped. Around ice.

"Hiccup!" she shouted again.

* * *

Hiccup's hands were held up. No. His best friend couldn't do this!

 _Toothless, please!_

He was exposed.

The dragon was ready to fire.

Ice.

Behind him.

Plasma blast.

Aiming.

"No!" Hiccup shouted.

* * *

 _Don't!_

"Hiccup!"

* * *

He glanced for a second, and his eyes widened.

 _No!_

"Wait, Astrid! _Astrid_!-"

* * *

 _BANG!_

* * *

 _….._

* * *

 _Ringing._

That was all the world heard.

And then-

...

...

 _nothing._


	21. Missing or Gone

_Well... what... interesting reviews I have seen... (I'm so glad I've only gotten_ three _death threats XD)_

 _All I can really say is... this chapter's important. Like I said in the last chapter... things will play out differently, and you will be surprised ;)_

 _So far, this story is at 32,000 views, with 231 follows, 155 faves, and 135 reviews! OMG! Thank you all! :D_

 _Oh! And I have finished the outline for this story... however, I am in a bit of a "creative writing" problem, concerning the end of this story. I've consulted a friend on here to discuss what is to happen, so hopefully I can find a way to move passed it._

 _See you all soon :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 21: Missing… or Gone_

Stoick heard the blast.

 _That_ was what woke him up.

His world spun. Spun….

Spun….

 _Oh, GODS!_

"Hiccup!" Stoick shouted. He glanced behind him. "Val, come on!" he shouted.

Valka hurried followed behind him, but she stopped in her tracks.

Stoick stopped. "Val?"

Valka merely pointed at the ships.

Stoick followed his wife's hands, and his jaw dropped.

The ships were gone.

No sign of Drago's army… _or_ dragon.

Everyone was on the ground, too. Stoick could see his people… his _village_ … crumbled in a mass of flames. Some houses stood under what appeared to be an obliteration of flame and torching… but not much. Not much to keep a village running on.

 _Everything_ was gone.

Stoick would have spun… but he didn't. He couldn't.

Not when everyone was counting on _him._

"Mom! Dad!"

Valka immediately ran down the hill, running into their daughter. His wife made no hesitation to hold Finna close to her, as both of them released worried cries into each other.

"Finna, are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked.

Finna shook her head, trying not to cry. Stoick noticed her trying her best not to. "I-I'm okay… but there was a _blast_ of ice, and I think it knocked everyone out…"

"Okay… We'll go and see if we can help anyone, okay?" Valka asked, cupping her daughter's face. "We… we'll find people…"

"Where's Hiccup?" she asked.

Looking up at Stoick.

Stoick didn't.

"I… I think we should regroup first," Stoick said. He could hear the tremor in his voice. "I have no idea…."

"We'll search th' outer perimeter," Gobber offered, pulling Stoick over to him.

Finna and Valka both nodded in agreement, and slowly descended down the side of the island. Once they were out of earshot, Gobber bent Stoick down to his level.

"Didn't Astrid go to find him?" he asked, whispering.

Stoick nodded. "I don't know if she got to him in time, though…." He sighed. "Gobber, if something happened to my boy"

"Now, we can't assume anything yet, alright?" Gobber said. "We need to look first."

"But the Hooligans"

"We're Vikings, Stoick. It's an occupational hazard," the blacksmith reminded him. "And Hiccup's your first priority now. We will look for him first."

 _Hiccup, if you're out there… know that I'm looking for you._

 _I will always find you, son._

* * *

There was _nothing_.

No one moved for what felt like minutes.

Astrid wasn't even sure if it was minutes that _passed_.

Rubble stayed in place, as the Night Fury's mouth steamed in plasma. The dragon hissed in his trance. Eyes thinnest as they could be. Still under the control of the Bewilderbeast. Breathing heavily in recovery of the last blast.

 _Blast…_

* * *

Astrid blinked.

What the _Hell_ happened?

Slowly, Astrid rose to her feet. It was proven difficult, due to the spinning from her head. The world tumbled around her. Blurring her vision.

Glancing around her… there was nothing.

No war.

No people.

No dragons.

It was…

Only herself here.

 _Alone._

All she could remember…

 _"Hiccup!"_

 _He glanced for a second, and his eyes widened._

 _"Wait, Astrid! Astrid!-"_

 _BANG!_

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

She looked down at the ice around her, but there was no sign of him. He wasn't here.

No body.

Nothing.

 _No_. She shook her head. _No_.

It wasn't possible-

Astrid ignored the pounding in her head. The pounding of a thousand dragons banging against her skull. A thousand _Vikings_. Her ears were screeching loudly. She couldn't focus besides the noises in her head. She had to focus on her breathing, just to make sure that she didn't faint. No. Pound.

 _Pound_.

No.

 _Pound_.

No…. no. no.

He was here.

Somewhere.

"Hiccup!" she shouted.

 _Pound._

 _Why_ was he not answering?

All there was surrounding her was the ice. The cold hard ice that did nothing but keep her bounded to the dragons.

 _Pound_.

Now…

She looked around her. No Drago. Only Toothless.

Looking up, she saw the Bewilderbeast and its dragons. Every dragon there was stuck in its control. From her perspective, she saw her friend and family: Stormfly. The dragon staggered around, trying to ignore the command of the new Alpha. But she, too, succumbed to the control of the Bewilderbeast.

 _POUND!_

"Wait… no…" Astrid said.

 _No. No._

He _couldn't_ be gone.

 _POUND!_

 _POUND!_

 _POUND!_

A feeling came over her. Something not entirely unfamiliar, but something completely different at the same time. It was a ripping feeling inside her chest. And it hurt more than anything.

Hiccup was gone.

There was nothing to show that he was, well, gone. Not a body at all. Not even-

She glanced down.

A wooden... thing… with-

 _Metal._

Astrid bent down, and picked it up. What… why did it look so familiar? It was just wood, right? Wood that was shaped enough to be made as leverage for a person to stand on…

Oh _Gods_ ….

 _Was he destroyed so badly that his entire body…._

No, she couldn't think that.

She _won't!_

She closed her eyes, but did not fail to notice the feeling of tears run down her face. _I… I didn't give him a chance to understand him completely…._ But the pain… it still burned in her chest. It was an inescapable pain; she tried desperately to ignore it… but it came back with inching slaps across her face. Each second was a reminder of what happened... she didn't want to remember what happened...

"I didn't get to tell him…" she trailed off.

But she stopped.

 _What_? What could she have told him?

Astrid kept quiet. Did she _love_ Hiccup? No, not that much. Yet. She liked and admired his loyalty, and the peaceful notion that he gave off… but that is what got him killed in the first place.

But there was a part of him that she didn't want to lose: his connection with her. The only connection that she had made with in a long time.

 _If he is dead…_

No. She couldn't think about that. Not when there were people here that were looking for him.

It hurt still.

Despite her... questioning feelings... she couldn't ignore the pounding behind the sound of her heart-

-tearing.

-apart.

* * *

 _Did all of that_ just _happen?_

Finna felt her hands shake, as she helped draw bandaged with her mother. Even the sound of the wounded could not block out the thought that she knew was going through her parents' heads. But no. She didn't have time to think about it.

The village was practically destroyed.

Seven generations of buildings being remade… was gone. The only thing that was left was burnt wood and the smell of dead animals. Smoke and ice warped the skies and ground. Whatever Hooligans that were left merely sat together.

"What are the losses?" Gobber asked, wiping his brow.

Beardhead and Snotlout, both with bandaged arms, shook their heads. A few leading members of the rest of the clans, the ones accounted for, too shook their heads in sorrow. Not a word was spoken; it was quieter than a ship grave.

Perhaps it _was_ a ship grave.

"Many injured," Valka said, not looking at Gobber. The injury on Beardhead's forehead took her concentration. "I haven't seen any of the Riders since the Bewilderbeast's death. And… well, there are the Bjornsons… and the Brynjarsons, and Larsons…"

Finna's eyes began to wonder. _Ragnar and Gustav's families?_ She lowered her head, and stopped bandaging Gothi. _How many people had to die because of all of this?_

 _All of this_ death _?_

Finna could only help Valka patch up the injuries, while Spitelout came out with the remaining children. She recognized Gustav's sister, Hildegard, walking with the rest of them, scared and confused. They could only cling to each other as the adults walked over to them, trying to find their own offspring.

The casualties… leaving these children orphans.

Finna was only glad that she didn't have a little sister or brother to have them witness the war.

 _"Hiccup!" Stoick shouted._

 _Finna glanced up to the sky, and saw the Bewilderbeast. The greater dragon snarled loudly, before releasing ice from his mouth._

 _"Get down!" Finna shouted._

 _The ice covered her father._

"Any sign of Hiccup?" Stoick asked.

Valka stopped with the bandage. Her eyes began to tear up. "We… we couldn't find him."

"No…" Stoick said. He shook his head. "Gobber, gather as many men as you can. We won't stop looking for Hiccup until he is safe at home"

"Dad-" Finna began.

"Hoark, start with the lower perimeter. Spitelout, take the west side. I'll check on the lower grounds," Stoick said, pushing through the light snow. Axe in hand. Not realizing that Hoark was not there to answer.

"Dad!" Finna shouted. She stood up and ran up to the charging Viking.

"Finna, if you know what's best for you, you'll stay here with your mother," Stoick said, unmoved. He stomped passed Finna without as much as a flinch in his eyes. "I need to find Hiccup."

Finna jumped in front of him. "Dad! You need to stop!"

"My son is out there," Stoick said, "and I plan to find him."

"And get yourself killed along the way? What if Drago or any of his crones are out there?" she asked. When Stoick didn't answer, she continued: "Look, we've lost a lot of lives today, and now all our dragons are in control of the giant dragon. Now, the best thing we can do is make sure that we don't lose like that again…"

Stoick looked down at his younger child. For what seemed like long moments, he just stared at her. Not with anger or sadness, but with a sense of wisdom that came with age. He looked much older than what he really was. Finna didn't say, but she now knew why he pushed Hiccup to get married; Stoick the Vast was no longer the strong Chief of Berk that all of the Archipelago recognized. This man was old… nearly fifty years… he may not see past his sixtieth if he was lucky.

Finna didn't want to lose her father like she lost her brother.

"Dad…?" she asked.

The Chief stayed silent.

"Stoick… perhaps we should wait a moment," Valka urged. She got up on her feet and walked over to her husband. "We can collect whoever's left, and then-"

" _Then_ what?" Stoick asked, accusingly. "Our son could be dead, and we have _no_ idea."

"Don't, Stoick!" Valka shouted.

"Don't _what_? You're too concerned with the rest of Berk to bother with your son, is that it?!" Stoick asked, his voice threating to grow louder. "You knew that he wouldn't make it, and you've been preparing-"

"STOP IT!" Valka roared.

Finna froze.

Never… in her seventeen years… did she ever hear her mother yell at her father. There had been occasions, but never like _this_.

"I _love_ our son, Stoick Grimbeard Haddock!" Valka insisted. "More than what you realize! And if I remember correctly, _you_ were the first one to send Hiccup out to the sea to drown! You only changed your mind because you saw how strong he was! And if I know my son…" she paused, as the tears drained her face. "I know that he is out there… somewhere…."

Finna kept her mouth shut, as she watched her father's emotions appear. They were, as always, never present on his face. However, she could see it in her father's eyes… the sheer pain and torture of a parent.

"Val…." Stoick said, softly. Gently walking over to his wife.

Valka shook her head. "I… I'm sorry, Stoick… I… I'm afraid, too…" Instinctively, she went for Stoick's arms. "I'm so sorry…."

"I am, too, Val."

There was a pause, but Finna couldn't help but witness the only couple she knew that had endured so much during their twenty-five-year marriage. Finna only knew a portion, but all she knew that her parents were finding this just as hard as any parent to think that they would lose a child.

 _Another child…_

"Stoick… if you find our son… please bring him home." Finna noticed the brokenness in her mother's voice. Begging. Pleading.

The Chief nodded, holing his wife close. "For you, my dear? _Anything._ "

* * *

" _Where's Hiccup?"_

Astrid didn't look up, but she knew that voice. It was the closest… person… that Hiccup knew. That he had to having a connection with her. Besides her, that is. The one person that truly understood Hiccup.

"He… he's gone."

Strangely, she could feel the warmth of the dragon's scales rub against her. His nose twirled between her back and arm. It wasn't technically warm, but it was the only comfort that he and she could take at the moment. And she took it with the only thing that she had left.

" _I did this…."_ The dragon said.

It was not a question.

Astrid shook her head. She looked up at Toothless, whose head lowered down. _No… it wasn't you. You are not the fault._ Gently, she rubbed his neck. Right where Hiccup would when he comforted him.

"Don't blame yourself. It was Drago."

Toothless nodded, but his head stayed low. _"I need to find his family."_

"I don't know where they are," Astrid said. She ignored the ship leaving the shores, and the tsunami that ruptured beneath the Bewilderbeast, engulfing the dragon in its huge waters. She ignored the sound of the Hairy Hooligans wailing for their dragons and lost ones. She didn't notice that Drago was no longer there.

So much had changed in the past few days. First, she was living the life of a dragon, protecting them from the evils of humans. Then… having to meet the only person who truly understood how she was. What she was feeling.

And he was gone.

Their future… it was gone, too.

And it was her fault.

"I'm not entirely sure that they'd want to see me, either."

* * *

"This stinks," Tuffnut said.

Eret nodded his head. "I… I have never seen Drago use his dragon for something like this before…"

"Yea, right. Thanks for telling us that," Snotlout grunted, rubbing his bandaged arm. "Way to go, _Dragon Rider."_

"Hey, I did the best I could," Eret said.

"Obviously not," Ruffnut said, positioned beside her brother and Snotlout. "Why didn't you tell us about the Ice monster?"

Eret raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you know that Drago had a huge dragon?"

"Well," Ragnar said, adjusting his broken spectacles, "I overheard Fishlegs making a discovery about how big it was-"

"Speaking of Fishlegs," Snotlout said, interrupting Ragnar, "where _is_ the nerd?"

Eret glanced at the rest of the Riders. Brenna and Adelaide, who were sitting next to each other, didn't answer. Ruffnut and Tuffnut continued to give confused looks. Gustav and Ragnar shrugged.

"He didn't show up?" he asked, confused. Wasn't he the oafish-looking one who tried to choke him to death?

"Yea, and Heather, too," Ruffnut pointed out.

"I saw her fall off Windshear, but then Fishlegs caught her…." Gustav noted, after not talking for what seemed like forever.

The rest of the Riders nodded their heads, bowed down.

Adelaide gulped. "You don't think they were… you know?"

Eret shivered, but he tried hard to not show it.

"I hope not," Brenna said, sadly. "I was just getting used to having Heather around."

"And Fishlegs," Snotlout said. "He may have been a nerd, but he still has Thor Bonecrusher in him."

Eret raised an eyebrow. "Bonecrusher?"

"It's a long story," Ruffnut said.

* * *

 _"I'll go with you, Dad," Finna insisted._

 _Stoick shook his head. "No, Finn. I can't risk losing you as well. If I can't find Hiccup… and I lose you… "_

 _"Don't think like that," Valka warned. "You will find Hiccup. I know it."_

 _"I need to find my brother," Finna urged. "Please, Dad."_

* * *

"Why did I listen to him?"

Finna lowered her hammer.

She glanced to over her, and saw Stoick sitting down on the ice. _Odd. When does he ever take breaks?_ Worried, she walked over to him. Her hand immediately went for his shoulders. Gently

"Dad?" she asked, concerned.

Stoick ran a hand through his beard. "I… I should have listened to my first instinct…. I should have told him that we shouldn't have attacked. I... could have saved him from… all this…" He closed his eyes. "My son is gone because of me."

Finna sighed. With some effort, she sat down beside her father. "Look… I don't know why you're beating yourself up… you did what you had to. You protected Berk. And that's what Hiccup did."

"Well, he wouldn't have been like this if I hadn't had pushed him to get married," Stoick said. His voice was barely a whisper. A distant wind in the darkening day. " _I_ did this."

Another question that she couldn't answer. Gods, why did growing up have to be so complicated? "Yea… about that," Finna said, rather chillingly. "Why _did_ you force Hiccup to get married?"

Stoick shrugged. "Beardhead needed the money, and we have the protection."

"No…" Finna said, trailing off. "It was more than that." There _had_ to be another reason…

"Maybe… I knew that Hiccup wouldn't find his own wife," Stoick said. "And giving him to Heather seemed like the better option…"

Finna looked up at him. "Not that you wanted to be a granddad?" she asked, smiling.

"No… well, maybe _that_ was a bonus," Stoick admitted, with a chuckle. He patted his daughter's shoulders. "You know… I never told your mother this, but I wasn't exactly thrilled with being married to a younger woman."

"You don't say," Finna said, deadpanned. "Remember this when you decide to marry _me_ off."

Stoick laughed, which was deep and somewhat cheerful. "Hopefully, not for a long time." He smiled. "Maybe that's why I decided to marry your brother off… I feared that he wouldn't find happiness like I did."

"Well, judging by how he talks about the Valkyrie, I'd say you're covered," Finna muttered to herself, mostly.

"The Valkyrie?" Stoick asked. He then clicked in. "Oh… Astrid, you mean."

Finna raised an eyebrow. "Her name is _Astrid_?" she asked. _Great. Not only is she insane, she's also has a name meaning 'divine beauty'. How ironic._ "When did you find this out?"

"She told us," Stoick explained. "Turns out she may possibly be the missing Hofferson child from seventeen years ago…"

 _Hmm… she_ does _look a lot like Brenna…._

"Sweet," Finna said, smiling. "Hofferson's got a sister."

* * *

 _"Astrid, NO!"_

 _Astrid pushed Hiccup out of the way._

 _A brilliant light of purple blasted._

 _Then nothing._

* * *

Astrid wiped her eyes. There was no way she was going to sit here and keep herself upset over what happened. "It's all my fault... I should have listened to Icespitter."

"What do you mean?" Toothless asked.

"He told me to not get involved with the raids, with the Eret guy," Astrid explained. "I wasn't ready to show myself to humans because I didn't spend enough time with them." Her voice lowered. "I shouldn't have engaged Hiccup… he wouldn't have died because of my stupidity."

Toothless released a chuckle. " _Trust me, Flametorch. Hiccup has a way of showing himself in places where he shouldn't be."_

Astrid smiled at the dragon's comment. _Sounds like my first impression of him…._

Toothless would have answered, but his nose went in the air. Astrid noticed the intensity of his sniffing, as though he were a tracking dragon, hunting its prey.

" _The King. He's alive…."_

Astrid blinked. "But how?" she asked. How could he-

Her instincts jolted.

Without a thought, she jumped onto Toothless' back. Hours of watching Hiccup maneuver the special tail on Toothless reminded Astrid of the mechanics. She reached for the lever, and the tail went into "gliding" mode.

Toothless released a loud roar in worry.

* * *

Finna glanced up.

 _Toothless._

"Hey Dad, did Toothless ever go with Drago and the other dragons?" she asked.

Stoick raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen Toothless since..."

"Hiccup told us that Toothless never liked to be under the control of the Red Death, remember?" Finna said. She raised her hand. "I wonder if it's the same with the Bewilderbeasts…."

Stoick nodded. "Maybe he's still there with Icespitter…"

"But Icespitter's gone," Finna reminded her father. "Why would dragons hang around dead ones-Oh." She stayed silent. She remembered how, back at Dragon's Edge, Smidvarg and his heard mourned for the loss of their own by surrounding the body.

"What is it?" Stoick asked.

Finna pointed to the east side of the mountain. "The old Bewilderbeast is over there… " she trailed off. "Dragons are known for surrounding the bodies of their deceased, right after death."

"And you think that a dragon has to be down there with Icespitter?" Stoick asked, with a hopeful tune in his voice.

"Possibly," his daughter said. She grabbed her father's hand, and guided him to the mountain. "If we hurry, we may find a dragon… or even someone who can help us…"

Stoick sighed. "I'm getting too old for this…"

* * *

She jumped down, and confronted the dragon.

Icespitter groaned. " _Leave me, Flametorch. My time is closing."_

"No, you can't be dying!" Astrid begged, pushing the dragon. No. She couldn't leave Icespitter. Not after losing Hiccup.

"You're going to be okay," Astrid said, as she tried to cover the mark on his shoulder. However, the puncture wound was much bigger than her entire body. "I... I can get Valka to help you…"

Toothless pushed his wing around Astrid. He released a sad moan. " _Flametorch…."_

Icespitter moved his eyes up slightly, and kept it on Flametorch. " _Listen, Astrid. You and Hiccup must stop Drago and Hati_ ," The dragon informed, with little breath in his voice. " _They will stop at nothing until the world is in flames, and all the dragons are theirs."_ His eyes began to close. " _I saw this many years ago… the Souls were meant to bind together and prevent them from destroying the world before the End…."_

 _"I was not entirely truthful with you… I knew my time was coming. I have lived this life for more years than you can count."_ He purred softly. " _I knew I was going to die soon."_

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "You did?" she asked. How... how did he?

" _Which is why I pushed for you and Hiccup to get along. To see that you two would soon become one Soul. I needed someone to take my place, and I knew it had to be of the Souls."_ He looked over at Toothless, then back at Astrid. " _However, the dragons may not listen to the Souls….If they do not accept the Souls, then the Night Fury should lead..."_

Toothless glanced up at Astrid. " _Me, the Alpha? But I can't fight Hati…"_

" _Not alone, you might not. But with you and the Souls…."_

Both Toothless and Astrid looked up at each other.

For the first time, Astrid saw what King meant; she saw why Toothless was being chosen… chosen to take over for him. Looking into Toothless' eyes, Astrid saw the same eyes that Hiccup had. Green as the forest. The ones that pierced through her soul. Matching the pine smell that opened up to the world of Vikings.

The Bewilderbeast nodded. " _Yes, now I see what my father meant."_

"What did he say?" Astrid asked.

" _When I had heard of the riddles of my father, he said that the Souls would unite the two worlds. He may have meant that the two worlds would rule together."_ He smiled, even with its weak approach to the situation. " _Connecting physically, emotionally, and mentally... the Ancestors believed that two Souls would unite as one, and free the world of all this. Uniting as one person... perhaps..."_

Astrid frowned. "What?"

" _I saw a vision once… of a dragon who face Hati. It was a strange dragon… with a missing leg, and sapphire eyes…"_ Icespitter's breathing slowed. " _It must have been a metaphor…. You two must be the ones to stop Hati."_

Astrid nodded, but she didn't try to hide the tears that ran down her face. She placed her hand on Icespitter, and felt his heartbeat. It was slowing down. No longer the loud thumping of a thousand dragons beating against the wind. It was a slower rhythm... one that mimicked her own.

" _You need to help Hiccup,"_ Icespitter said softly. " _If the Souls… do not… stay good…"_

"I understand," Astrid said through her thickening voice.

Icespitter's eyes closed. " _Protect them all…_."

Without another word, the dragon closed his eyes for the final time, and his breath ceased. Astrid's hand remained on the dragon, and she felt no more heartbeats from the dragon. Toothless didn't release her, as she allowed tears to fall from her face the second time that day. Neither she nor Toothless said another word as they silently mourned for the fallen King.

And Astrid prayed to the ancestors and gods that somehow… somehow everything will turn out okay.


	22. Hope is Not Lost

_Okay, so I had some time to finish this chapter, since CW decided to make us wait TWO MORE WEEKS to bring out the new episode of THE FLASH! (Very mad Drabby at this moment :( ) and after a two-month hiatus? Bullshit, I say XD_

 _Oh, then I just_ had _to watch the "Rogue One" trailer… damn, can December come faster? XD_

 _I hope this chapter satisfies your tastebuds, because I worked hard to draw you guys into this hellhole. (it's 4,849 words without the note)  
_

 _Also, I need some input on what to do for the "sequel". I have it pretty much down in terms of plot, but there's a subplot that involves Valka and Stoick that I need help with. If you guys have any ideas… or want to help… feel free to pm me_ _:)_

 _Okay, see you guys later and don't forget to review_ _:)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 22: Hope is Not Lost_

Astrid kept her hands on Icespitter.

" _He's gone…"_ Toothless said, sadly.

But Astrid didn't hear him. Not really, at least.

Her mind was on something else… something that seemed less life-like. Almost… like a dream.

Images, of what she didn't recognize, flashed in front of her mind.

Voices.

Echoing.

…

" _You have the power of the Dragon…"_

 _She knew that voice…_

 _Drago…._

 _…_

 _Two people stood. One man. One woman._

 _"Astrid, please!"…_

 _…_

" _Flametorch?"_ Toothless asked, nudging her.

 _…._

 _"The boy lives."_

 _…_

 _"You have strong feelings for him."_

 _Writing._

 _…_

 _"I HATE YOU!"_

 _A familiar voice. Broken._

 _…_

 _She stopped, and found herself surrounded by ice._

 _Two dragons approach her. No, they were hatchlings._

 _Astrid couldn't tell what kind they were. Identical, save for their eyes: one had green eyes, while the other supported blue._

 _"Get out. Get out," they hissed, chasing her. Using their claws and teeth to frighten her away._

 _Astrid raised an eyebrow, backing away, and looked over._

 _Hati came in, and began to roar._

 _Astrid was about to run when a dragon appeared:_

 _It was a huge dragon, looking similar to a Night Fury, but with the wings of a Deadly Nadder. Its eyes were blue, burning with anger, and its right leg was missing… replaced by a wooden one._

 _"THE END IS NEAR!"_

 _…._

"Hiccup!"

Astrid's head shot up. Nearly forgetting the voices of the vision that she had witnessed. She looked up at the Night Fury. "Toothless… did you…?" she stopped, only to hear if the voice returned.

" _I heard it, too,"_ Toothless said. He stood up on his legs and sniffed the air. Searching the skies. " _Wait… I know that scent…."_

Astrid backed away from the dragon. "What is it?" she asked, grabbing at the nearest weapon she had.

" _It's…."_ Toothless stopped. He looked up to the sky, and released a loud roar. Astrid had to cover her hears due to the booming noise beside her. A powerful roar that could wake up anyone on Berk, or in a few islands' radius.

It made her happy to know that Night Furies were known for their banshee roars.

"Dad, I hear Toothless!"

Toothless' ears perked up at the sight of Stoick coming towards them. Immediately, he walked over to the towering man, and nuzzled his head against the man.

"Goodness, you're here," Stoick said, with a sense of happiness in his voice. He pat the dragon in a loving way, and caused the dragon to purr against him. "Any sign of Hiccup, boy?"

Toothless released a sad moan, but his eyes darted to Astrid.

Stoick followed the movement of the dragon's eyes, and rested on the image of the girl. He bent down, and glanced at Astrid, longingly. "Astrid…"

If Astrid ever had a moment of weakness, it was now. She found herself, whether it was from instinct or her own decision, in the comforting arms of the great Chief of Berk. And she found that she could release the shattered emotions that she kept inside herself for years. Years of emotion exploded on Stoick, and Astrid had little care.

She wept for Hiccup. For her arrogance. For her lost future. For Icepsitter. For the Dragon Master. For the Haddocks. For _humans._ For her sister.

 _Hiccup._

* * *

Astrid wasn't sure how much time passed.

But she sat there, cradled like a child, and cried the tears of a grieving widow. Into the arms of a man who barely showed emotion. A man whose son she loved. She _loved._

Loved more than any other man she had ever met.

She… _loved_ Hiccup.

"There, there," Stoick said, patting her. It was a soothing pat; similar to the strokes of a dragon, purring at her side after the death of a dragon. His warmth radiated in a fatherly aroma, and she took in what she lost. The loss of a father-daughter moment, one she never witnessed. "It'll be alright…"

Astrid pulled away. "No… Hiccup's gone." She looked down. "And it's _my_ fault."

She couldn't face Hiccup's father. Daring not to call _him_ her lover. He didn't belong to her. He never did, and now… he never will.

The Chief released a low sigh. Hugging the woman back, and patting her shoulder comfortingly. "No… it wasn't," Stoick insisted. "He is alive… somewhere. We'll regroup, and we will search for him." He chuckled. "If I know my son, he is too stubborn to be killed."

She smiled, knowingly. Stoick had a point… Hiccup _was_ a stubborn character. Probably the most stubborn person she knew. And she came from a family of _Deadly Nadders_.

"Look, we'll make sure he's back home," Stoick promised, as he stood up. Once again, he held his hand up to her. "I know you'll find a way."

Astrid took his hand, willing. "I… I don't know if I _can_."

How could she? She was the Valkyrie, the girl raised by dragons. The only human whom the new Alpha could, somehow, control. The weak human, who was neither a Viking nor a dragon. Rejected by both. Hated by all.

"I won't having you say things like that, not when you're on _my_ island. You've got the makings of a true Viking," Stoick said, smiling at her. He gently lifted her head to face him "If it's any indication… you have the heart of a chief, and a Soul of a dragon. I know Hiccup would be the strongest of them all, but he's stronger with you."

Astrid nodded, wiping the wet tears off her face.

"How are you sure he's still alive?" she asked.

Stoick smiled. One that had more hope than what she could _ever_ conjure up. "Because I know my son. _Nothing_ can stop him."

* * *

Finna wasn't so easily moved by the sight of the dead dragon.

It was huge… especially being up so close to it. Finna ignored the feeling that the dragon was dead… that it no longer moved. The feeling never bothered her as a child, as she watched her village slaughtered dragons for the mere fun of it. Now… for five years… the thought of a deceased dragon scared her.

However, she kept her distance.

If Stoick found Toothless, or even Hiccup, then she'd be happy. She didn't want to think, like her mother appeared to, that her brother was gone. That… maybe he didn't survive. Knwoing Hicucp, he would have went up to Drago to confront him. There was no way he could go up against a man twice – even three – times his size.

Finna shook her head. No. Hiccup was a fighter. He always fought. He never could-

But the thought remained.

Growing up, she always asked why her parents did not provide her with a little brother or sister. Truthfully, she always wanted brothers. However, Valka explained to her, at a young age, that it had been a gift from the gods that Hiccup and herself survived the winter when two others did not.

Again, Finna was glad that Stoick and Valka didn't have more children, especially at this moment. Finna couldn't see how the Haddocks could go through with… losing… more of their family.

Finna sighed. Thinking back to the Red Death from five years ago… she remembered seeing how frail and still her brother had been, wrapped in Toothless' wings. Even then… she didn't think that Hiccup survived it. Yet… despite the odds, he did.

 _Most of him, anyway._

"Finna!"

Stoick and Astrid ascended up the hill, followed by Toothless. The dragon caught sight of Finna, and ran up to her. The Night Fury charged at her, and literally jumped on her.

"Hey, Toothless!" Finna said, happily. She ignored the licks of the dragon, as she pet him happily. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

Finna sighed. "Goodness… at least _you're_ okay…" the way she said it… _she_ even found it a little harsh. _But I_ did _tell her to go f-_ "Uh…. Astrid, right?"

Astrid nodded. "Yea… Finna?"

Finna could only nod as well. To think that, merely a day ago, she and Astrid had a quarrel. Simply because she thought that Finna would attack her or the dragons. _And look how much we've changed since then…_

"Look…" Finna began. "I, er, sort of want to apologize for how I spoke to you the last time we saw each other."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "You mean when you told me to… and I quote ' _go fuck myself'_?" she asked.

"You said _what_?" Stoick asked, gruffly.

"I know," Finna admitted, ignoring her father for a moment, hands raised. "But I was mostly confused, and I wasn't sure how you were with my brother… but I can assume that you both got along….?"

The Valkyrie nodded, unsteadily. "I… am sorry, too. For… well, attacking you."

Finna, if this were another time, would have made a big deal about the apology. Even with her own brother, she would have. "Eh, it's water under the bridge," she insisted, waving her hand off.

Astrid nodded her head.

"See, Dad?" Finna asked, grinning. She gestured to herself and Astrid. "We're getting along, right?"

Stoick sighed. Whether it was from the fact that she was grinning like an idiot, or that Astrid's confused face fixated on the old Chief… Finna knew that her father did _not_ understand her sometimes. And sometimes it may have been for the better.

"Let's just get back to the group, okay?" Stoick asked, rolling his eyes.

Finna nodded, but she frowned. "Considering you're not talking…" she looked up at her father. She tried hard not to think of the words she was about to ask Stoick. "No sign of Hiccup?" she asked, fearfully.

Stoick didn't answer, which was worse.

* * *

Valka tended to the wounded, as she always did.

It wasn't that she hated it; rather, it was the alternative instead of killing dragons in her youth. Then again, there was no other alternative in her own family. Being that her family was the esteemed House Jorgenson, and her older brothers all became dragon killers.

She smiled, as she thought back to her youth. Valka never thought that, at her young age, that she would be the Chief's wife, and the mother of two rambunctious Haddocks. Especially one of them being the bridger of the world of dragons and Vikings.

Valka sighed. _I wonder what it have been like if there were more of them._ She never told Stoick of her plan, but she had enjoyed the thought of having more children with Stoick. However, after their first son, Haldor... they were lucky to even _have_ Hiccup and Finnawen.

The thought rushed through Valka. _I can't lose another child…._

….

 _"Stoick!" Seventeen-year-old Valka cried._

 _Stoick rushed in the house, but his face fell. Valka merely held the small bundle in her arms. Crying into the son that she never had the chance to feed. To meet._

 _"I'm sorry…" Stoick said._

 _Valka_

 _…_

 _Valka, at nineteen years old, nearly twenty, sighed in relief… as she saw the wailing child…._

 _The nursemaid, frowing, handed the child to Valka. "It's a boy."_

 _Valka never had felt so much joy in her life. Her son... he was alive._

 _"Valka… he's too tiny. Maybe… maybe we can try again…" Stoick pleaded.  
_

 _Valka clutched to her son, as he screamed loudly against her breast. "No, Stoick! I won't let you take him away from me! I already lost Haldor!"_

 _…_

 _Valka didn't know how long she sat there, crying. She cried for the life that Stoick took from her. The only thing that kept her alive… was that perhaps Stoick didn't do anything._

 _The door opened, and_

 _"He's a strong one," Stoick admitted, handing the baby to Valka._

 _She didn't know how many times she cried. This time it was to her new son, the one that now suckled from her. "What changed your mind?" she asked._

 _Stoick shrugged. "He… he is a fighter, Val. I didn't see it… but I think I do now. If he can fight to live in this life… then someday he will be the strongest of them all."_

 _…._

"Where's Fishlegs?" a voice shouted.

Valka turned her attention to a couple: Mrs. And Mr. Ingerman. Like their son, Fishlegs, they were bulkier and supported blonde hair and blue eyes. However, Mrs Ingerman was shorter than her husband. Usually, they were a quieter couple, but it did not appear to be the case today.

"Jarlegs," Valka said, addressing to Mr Ingerman. She stood back up, and tried to hide her sorrow. "We… haven't seen any sight of Fishlegs…" It did not occur to her that Fishlegs had been missing.

Mrs Ingerman shook her head violently. "No! My _son!"_

"Tiny…." Mr Ingerman said, sadly.

"My son is out there!" Mrs Ingerman shouted. Her husband pulled her away to a tent. "He's not dead! I know my son! He's out there!"

Valka tried to ignore her cries, but it made her worst fears come up: her son may be gone, too.

Beardhead, his arm in a sling, looked over at Valka. "Mrs Haddock… have you seen Heather?" he asked. His face was filled with the same worry as the Ingermans. The same fear that Valka felt herself.

What could she say? She was unaware of the whereabouts of them... she hadn't seen either before the battle. Only before Hiccup was taken captive (or.. she still thought that he did) by the Valkyrie- _no_ , Astrid.

"We… We'll find her," Valka promised. Beardhead nodded.

How Valka hated herself then and there.

* * *

"Mom!"

"Valka!"

Valka sighed in relief at the sight of her husband and daughter. Looking closely, she noticed that Astrid was following close behind them. _One thing got out of this search, that's for sure._ As Astrid followed, she was shown to be on the back of a-

Night Fury.

"Wait… you found Toothless?" she asked, as Stoick met her at arm's length. "How?"

Astrid shrugged. "You know… I'm not entirely sure how he escaped the wrath of Drago…" with good measures, she growled at Toothless.

Valka understood _some_ of the vocabulary, but it was very limited. She heard Toothless say something like " _Alpha_ " and " _blast_ ", but most of it was muddled for her. Looking at Finna, she knew that Finna didn't try to listen to the growls, knowing quite well that she didn't understand it.

"Toothless says that he only remembered hearing dark voices before a blast echoed around him," Astrid translated. "That was, at least, _after_ he was taken in control by the Bewilderbeast."

Valka raised an eyebrow. "How?" From what she remembered five years ago, Hiccup had told her that Toothless somehow could break away from the control of the Red Death. She had assumed that he could break from _any_ control. "Is he not receptacle from that sort of thing?"

"I would have assumed so," the Valkyrie admitted, "but the control of a Bewilderbeast is not of the Red Death, from what Hiccup told me. I can only assume that Bewilderbeasts control dragons differently; Red Deaths command their flocks to complete tasks while Bewilderbeasts can literally take control of the dragons' actions."

Stoick nodded, but he wore his stern look. "How do you know?"

"Icespitter told me," Astrid said, nonchalantly, "that dragons governed by female Alphas, or _Queens_ , are _very_ different from how Kings." She bit her lip. "And… the Alphas use this… commanding voice to control dragons."

Valka observed Astrid's body movement, as she educated the Vikings. The way her stance staggered, almost losing balance, it was the same way she saw herself every time she heard terrible news from her husband. News from other lands that her husband nearly died. It was the stance of a woman in love….

"That's better than nothing," Stoick admitted. "But the only thing we need to worry about now is to find out where they may have taken Hiccup… there was no body on the beaches of where we looked."

Toothless growled.

"He says that he can track Hiccup," Astrid said.

* * *

"How are you holding up?" Eret asked.

Finna shrugged, as she sat down on a log. "I… honestly, I feel like crap. My brother is out there, either alive or dead, and our dragons are gone, and many of the Hooligans are dead," she said.

Somehow, she forced herself to laugh. "Funny, I thought that today would go _quite_ differently."

Eret sat down beside her. He, too, felt the need to smile. "I thought I was going to give Drago a big order… then I find myself here."

"Why did I say those things in front of Drago?" Finna asked. It wasn't to Eret, or to anyone. It was mostly to herself. "I shouldn't have gloated him on."

"Actually, it was a good idea," Eret said. "I… I took your words to heart, and I realized that dragons are not the enemy…." He looked down at her. " _You_ changed me, Finna."

Finna wasn't sure what came over her, but she found Eret's embrace comforting. It was… warm. Unlike the chilling weather that surrounded Berk with the thought of the weather and death.

"What the..." she found herself saying.

Something was sniffing at her hand.

Looking over Eret's shoulder, she found the source of the... sniffing.

It was a Monstrous Nightmare.

A _baby_ one.

* * *

" _Track_ Hiccup?" Spitelout asked, confused.

The rest of… what was left of Berk, surrounded the middle of the table at the Hall. Luckily, there had been minimal damage to the large building, and the map only suffered burn marks.

Stoick stood at the end of the map, while the majority of the adults that survived encircled around it too. Valka, Gobber, Astrid and Finna stood closest to Stoick, while Spitelout and Hoark (bandaged up) appeared on his right side opposite his family. Valka noticed the members of the Riders (what was left of them, anyway) were off on the side, watching the adults.

Hoark crossed his arms. "And what do we do if we find out he's alive? We can't exactly infiltrate Drago's defences, now can we?" she said over the voices around her.

"Hoark _has_ a point," Plegma the Fierce admitted. "We ain't sure that Hiccup's out there…."

"And there has to be people missing," Valka pointed out, thinking about Fishlegs and Heather. "Was Drago known for taking prisoners?"

Stoick thought it over. "No… but if he were… then he would need them for some reason. Something important."

"Great," Spitelout grunted. "Now there's more people he could have taken…"

"Then we need to confirm it first, before we make drastic measures," Stoick decided. "We should send someone who knows the terrane of the ice slopes…."

He looked over at Astrid.

Valka found herself looking at her, as well. She may not have agreed with her husband's tactics, but she _did_ agree that Astrid knew the areas better than anyone. _I would have too, if I spent nearly two decades in that isolated wasteland…_

"I'll do it," Astrid agreed.

"I hate to be a downer," Phlegma butted in, "but what do we do? Are we attacking Drago's ships like last time?"

He stroked his beard, concentrated. "There's no way we can catch up to them. Not without dragons, at least…."

"We have ships," Spitelout explained. "If we bring enough manpower…"

"It can be too late to find it," Hoark cut him off. "The armada may find the other dragons by that time."

The men and women around the map nodded in agreement. They caused their voices to rise throughout the Main Hall, and the noise was drowning on them.

"Wait," Eret said. He pushed through the crowd, and made himself seen. Everyone's shouts went down to low mutters. "Drago has no idea where this nest is. It could take him _hours_ before he finds the nest."

"And how do you know this?" Stoick asked.

"Because I would have caught more dragons there," Eret said, quickly. Despite his quick answer, many of the Hooligans whispered among each other. "Besides, Drago was unware of the presence of another Bewilderbeast until Finna brought it up. And they'll need either a dragon from the previous nest to guide them, or at least someone who had seen the nest."

"And how can we be sure to trust you?" Hoark asked.

"You may as well be a traitor," Phlegma added.

The Hooligans' voices rose as well, shouting terrible slurs at the ex-trapper. Stoick stopped them by holding his hands up.

"If this man says that he is on our side, then he is. We'll need this advantage," Stoick explained. "Drago, as he says, was unaware of the presence of this Bewilderbeast."

"Stoick," Spitelout said, "we can send the girl in with the Night Fury, but we'll have to be _right_ behind them. And who knows if Hiccup's with them."

Valka watched her husband with

"Lag time," Stoick remembered, "Damnit… if we wait too long for Astrid, then it may be too late for both Hiccup and the dragons…."

"Wait!" Finna shouted from the back rows. She ran over to the podium, and lifted up a baby Monstrous Nightmare. It was more of a teenager, but it was half the size of an adult. "Eret and I found a whole bunch of them down in the tunnels…."

"Baby dragons?" Stoick raised an eyebrow. "How did they survive the Alpha's control?"

"They can't be controlled by the Bewilderbeast," Astrid explained. "I don't know why, but not even Icespitter could control then."

Finna grinned. "Sounds like a good enough reason to use them, then."

The Hairy Hooligans all cheered in agreement. It may have been the best news that the Hooligans had heard that day.

* * *

The small boats slowly floated on the shores of Berk.

In each ship contained many valuables, from what Astrid saw. Some ships held helmets and swords. Others merely carried an axe. She didn't fixate on one individually, but she knew that there had to have been at least fifteen boats out there.

 _We didn't even have a body for Hiccup…_

The ships gently following the waves on its journey to the land known as Valhalla. Astrid lost count of how many ships were sailing now, out to the unknown passed Berk.

…

 _"Before we go," Stoick had declared, as he raised a torch, "Let us send those who have died and send them onto a safe passage into Valhalla."_

 _The remaining Hairy Hooligans had dispersed, and followed outside the Main Hall._

 _"Valhalla?" Astrid asked Finna._

 _"The sacred world of the dead, where passed warriors will forge their armies and train," Finna had explained. "Preparing for the end of the world, in the last battle of Ragarnok."_

…

The Hairy Hooligans, the living, surviving ones at least, stood on the shored of Berk, and the edges closest to the east. Some were alone, others in groups. However so, each group patched a small fire. Astrid noticed that each person held a bow in hand. Arrows laid on the ends of their bows, ready.

Stoick sighed sadly. "You died heroically, fallen Hairy Hooligans," he said, in his loud, booming voice. "Odin sees the fire in your spirits and the goodness of your hearts. He will welcome you as grand warriors at the gates of Valhalla." He hesitated. "We hope one day we shall join you all in the fight in Ragnarok."

..

 _"The belongings on the silent boat were the required tools needed for Valhalla." Finna grabbed her bow. "Ragarnok is the end of time. The final battle. They need their weapons so that they can prepare in Valhalla for Ragnarok."_

 _Astrid nodded, although she hid her confusion. Being a human had a_ lot _of rules._

….

Gobber nodded, and looked back at Astrid.

"You want to say something?" he asked.

 _Say?_ She thought. What could she say? She barely knew anyone in this tribe. Save for the Haddocks now. But even then… she couldn't say words of wisdom to a tribe that had different customs to her. A different lifestyle. Something that she still had to learn how to understand.

However, she only shook his head at Gobber's question.

Stoick signaled Gobber with his hand.

Gobber nodded and rose his bow and arrow. On the end of it was lit with a small patch of flame which grew quickly.

The entire island of Berk prepared their arrows, mirroring the Hairy Hooligans on sore. With each group, the laid their arrows on fire from the burning bush.

Stoick uneasily steadied his arrow. From what Astrid could see, the Chief fought hard not to show emotion. Perhaps trying not to cry and release more tears. His lower lip and beard quivered slightly. His hands, shaking, proved he was unstable. However, his eyes slowly hardened of the pain. The small burning light on the tip of his arrow flickered.

After an all-too-brief moment, the arrow escaped its captivator.

It soared across the grey evening sky, missing the deadly waters below, and finding its target. The rest of the Hooligans, Astrid lost count of how many there were, released their arrows in synchronization. The deadly flame had already caught the flesh of the wood and burst into an inferno of hell, as the synchronized arrows joined in.

The rest of Berk followed in suit and allowed their arrows to pivot to the burning boats below.

Astrid hesitated. Her hand did not want to let go of the bow. It latched his arm shut, preventing his next action from taking place. This arrow... was one of thousands. Not unique in the fairest. It was just an arrow. A generic arrow she made. It was nothing compared to the rest. The rest of the Hairy Hooligans. Just another arrow that was lighting the fallen Hooligans' way to Valhalla. And very unlikely that they would know. She didn't know them, anyway.

So why did it weight a thousand boulders?

Finally, she found her arm relax. She watched as his individual arrow become lost in the sea of flames, never to be seen again. Hidden in the engulfing flames, eating away at the fires, in turn, released the hidden scents of metal and flesh into the night sky. Uncanny as it was, it shed relief onto the Hooligans: the passage to Valhalla was almost complete for the fallen warriors.

It was for a brief moment that Astrid found herself moved by the lives lost. Those who lost family. The fallen dragons and Hooligans. Astrid thought of them all, even though she didn't know their faces. Their names. The ones from her heritage that died today to protect their home.

 _The Hooligans are not heartless, after all_.

Was it merely a few days ago when Icespitter forbade her to attack the trappers? He said something... about her misguided hatred for humans. The words didn't come to her; perhaps they never would. That day seemed more like a dream than a memory.

Astrid frowned. Her hatred had fueled hotter than any moment in her life. The fire within her was soon to spur out. But… she remained calm for the sake of the Hooligans. For she knew what her next goal was: to destroy Drago. She desperately wanted his head to hang from a stick, as her brothers and sisters did of the past dragon raids.

 _You will pay, Drago. You will pay for all these lives lost._

She bowed her head.

 _Especially for Hiccup's._

* * *

 _"Get up," a voice whispered._

 _"Get up."_

 _A dragon appeared. Looking similar to Icespitter.  
_

 _Followed by identical dragon hatchlings._

 _"Young Dragon Soul…." The dragon whispered. It was not Icespitter. It was older, and greyer. "You must get up."_

 _The Old King…_

 _"Find Astrid…."_

* * *

There was an incredibly pounding noise, banging against his head.

It was dark around him, there was no question.

He lifted his head. Pain cursed through it, and passed everything in his body. Well, his body would be in more pain if he had not landed in the snow.

Wait. This _wasn't_ snow.

What _happened?_

He thought back to the last thing he remembered... but it wouldn't come to him. All he remembered was snow. Snow around him. Pinning his body with a hundred pains all over his body. The most pain... well, it was either his head or his legs...

And why was everything so black?

"Uh… hello?" he called out.

For the most part, no one answered.

No one said anything.

 _Hiccup…_

He jerked his head. Whether the voice was in his head, or out loud, he listened for it.

With hope.

"Yes?" he found himself saying.


	23. Hope is Found

_Please don't be angry with the lack of an update for weeks. I've been doing my two-week placement at my town's hospital, and I've been working afterward at my job. So... I've had little sleep and energy lol.  
_

 _Well, the good thing is that I may have a chance of updating more frequently this week, as I have a break (sort of). And I have thought long and hard about what I'm planning on doing, and I hope you guys enjoy it :)_

 _Thanks again, and please review :) You guys motivate me to write :)_

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 23: Hope is Found_

"How do I get on you, exactly?"

" _Easy. Get on my back, and attach to my tail."_

Astrid did her best to hold onto Toothless. Well, it wasn't much as trying to hold onto him; it was more about adjusthing herself on _top_ of him. It proved to be difficult, due to the way that the fin tail was created. She wasn't sure what the best way to hold onto Toothless, or how it would best fly the dragon. The mechanics were foreign to her, as was the funeral for the late Hairy Hooligans.

Toothless purred. " _You need to flip the switch."_

"Oh…" Astrid took the bar on by the saddle, and pulled it down. Why or how Vikings were abole to make these contraptions were beyond her. Even if, from what others have said, that Hiccup was one of the only Hairy Hooligans on Berk to use metals and machinery. "It's weird how Hiccup's got this set up…."

" _Well, you can use his prosthetic_ ," Toothless pointed out, gesturing to the peg leg that Astrid had on her belt. " _Since… it can hatch onto my tail and maneuver me better."_

Astrid smiled. "But you have your fins, remember?" she said, pressing down on Toothless' back by the base of his neck. The fins reappeared.

" _I think,"_ Toothless purred, as she ran around Astrid happily, and clapping his fins together, "- _this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!_ "

The Valkyrie couldn't help but chuckle, as she mounted on Toothless' back. With some effort, she latched the peg leg to the control, and locked it in mode. When it clicked into place, and made the metal sound of connecting together, Astrid smiled to herself in a small victory.

"Do you have Hiccup's scent?" she asked, remembering what Valka told her about how they first tracked Hiccup to the nest.

" _Please,"_ the Night Fury rolled his eyes, " _I've had Hiccup's stench with me for five winters. I couldn't get rid of his stench, even if I wanted to."_

Astrid frowned. "What's wrong with Hiccup's scent?" she asked, sounding somewhat hurt. _I think he smells amazing… like the fresh pine trees of springtime…_ "If it's so bad, why do you want on you?"

" _It's familiar_ ," Toothless said, without missing much as a beat in his explanation, "- _just as my own scent is."_ The dragon chuckled, mostly to himself. _"Sometimes, I cannot tell if I am smelling myself or Hiccup._ "

Now… Astrid couldn't disagree. She found that she was like this with Stormfly. She had been riding on the back of her sister dragon for so long that their scents had intertwined. It was though their bodies were as one, but more. Like… as of a body of one mind and one soul. _One thing that connects Hiccup and myself as Souls of Dragons: we are connected to our respected dragons._

Astrid frowned to herself. Was this similar to what the Alpha was trying to explain to her? That, one day, Hiccup and Astrid would become as one… and be able to bring balance between Vikings and Dragons for good. She still wasn't sure… but the vision that she gained from Icespitter must have meant that.

 _But why did I see the future?_

"Are you ready?" Valka asked, as she walked over to Astrid. "I know it will be a little difficult, with trying to work out Toothless' tail, but Hiccup made sure that even a newcomer to the tailfin could use it.|

Astrid nodded, from atop of Toothless, taking Valka's words in heart. "As ready as I will ever be…." She frowned again, and trailed off. She was having doubts again… about Hiccup. What if they didn't find him, or if it was the best thing to allow _her_ to go in front of everyone?

"Don't worry, dear. We'll have the Riders and the ships following you." She stroked Toothless' face affectionately. "I _know_ you two will find him."

Astrid nodded. "Me too, Ms Valka. Me too."

"It's Valka," she insised, as she placed her hand on Astrid's shoulder. "Or Mrs Haddock. I never went by my husband's last name. Not even Stoick's mother went by Mrs Haddock." She pinched her eyebrowns. "However, I never actually caught her name…."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Why do women take the last names of their mate- I, er, mean _husbands_?" she asked.

Valka shrugged. "Well, it's mostly because we've always done that. It seems like the best way to carry on the husband's name."

The Valkyrie shook her head. _Humans sure have strange customs…._

* * *

"Hello?" Hiccup called out again.

He didn't know why it was all dark. He tried to rub his eyes, trying to rub away the darkness. Only… it left him in the dark. He could make out some figures, but it was proven difficult with the darkness.

Something hit him against the ribs. With force, from a kick.

"Shut it, or you'll get us in trouble."

Hiccup blinked, as he moved away from whatever hit him. "Where am I?"

"Drago's ship."

Hiccup searched frantically. He _recognized_ that voice, rather well, to be completely honest. "Heather? Where are you?"

"To your left. Can you not see me?"

For all he tried, nothing seemed to regain his sight. He blinked. _Nothing_. Hiccup shook his head. _Nope_. He held his hand in front of his face. _Nope_ … _nothing_.

"Temporary blindness," another voice said. "From whatever hit you." Hiccup's ears picked up the familiarity of the voice.

"Fishlegs?"

A small laugh came from Fishlegs. "Yea, it's me. What happened out there? What hit you, exactly?"

Hiccup rubbed his eyes. For some reason, he couldn't seem to remember the last thing that happened. Everything was so… distorted, besides the blinding purple light that he saw before the darkness. The only thing he could think of was…

"Where's Toothless?"

"He… well, we don't know. We didn't see him," Heather said.

There were no answers from Hiccup. He thought to his brother… to his other half… no, Toothless couldn't have been gone, right? No, he refused to believe it. There was no way that his first, and sometimes his only, friend would be lost so suddenly.

 _Wait…_

The flash of light….

…

 _Hiccup's hands were held up. No. His best friend couldn't do this!_

 _Toothless, please!_

 _He was exposed._

 _The dragon was ready to fire._

 _Ice._

 _Behind him._

 _Plasma blast._

 _Aiming._

 _"No!" Hiccup shouted._

 _"Hiccup!" he heard._

 _He glanced for a second, and his eyes widened._

 _No!_

 _"Wait, Astrid! Astrid!-"_

 _BANG!_

 _…._

 _He didn't see anything._

 _He could only hear the sound of footsteps around him._

 _"Interesting…." A slithering voice said, with the sound of a chuckle at the end. He couldn't move from it; his body was completely still. But he felt something dragging him, and ripping something off him._

 _The cold ground was his only comfort from the pain._

….

Hiccup shook his head. So.. it was _drago_ who took him. Somehow.. he survived that blast.. that blast from Toothless. He saw Astrid.. but he didn't see what happened to her. Did she get hit? Did she take his hit? Hiccup tried to remember, but he could not.

"It was _dreadful_ ," Fishlegs said, waking him from his thoughts. Hiccup could hear the worry in his voice. "All we saw was Drago dragging you by your foot and handing you over to his men."

"We thought you were dead," Heather added, sounding just as worried as Fishlegs. "You were limp… and barely moved…. You then started shouting, and that's when we realized you were alive."

The young heir nearly found himself fainting. His family…. Oh gods, what happened to _them_? Were they taken hostage as well, or did they die like so many Hairy Hooligans?

"My family?" he asked.

"I.. I didn't see them," Fishlegs admitted. "We… haven't seen any of our family, either."

 _Dad…. Mom…. Finna…._

He wanted to cry. He really did. And Hiccup _never_ cried, not even when he was shamed by his own father. Dishonored by the man whom he thought loved him unconditionally. But here… it wasn't only Stoick's life on the line… it was the _world._

This was all his fault.

He didn't want to get married, so he ran away. And met Astrid. And had to see her again. Then had to convince Berk to fight Drago. And he stupidly thought he could change Drago's mind. He _knew_ of the power of the Alpha… the control that Bewilderbeasts had… and he thought he could change Drago's mind, just as he nearly did with Astrid.

That stupidity cost him his home.

His family.

His _future._

 _I did this…._

"Where's Astrid?"

No one answered.

Hiccup sighed, and wrapped his arms around his leg. Yep. His prostetic food was gone, as he suspected. So _where_ did it go? It literally could be anywhere, and he was this useless one-legged Viking sitting in what smelt of rat feces and salty sea water.

It was the only thing he _could_ do, sitting here.

The only thought that didn't make him cringe.

"She's gone…" Hiccup said. And maybe he was right. Maybe she was gone, and Toothless killed her… there was no other way she could have escaped that blast. Night Furies never miss their targets.

"Don't say that," Fishlegs said, eventually. "She was raised by dragons, remember? I'm sure she's fine."

It still didn't make him feel better.

It didn't help that he was here. Here on Drago's ship, and not knowing what happened to Toothless, or Astrid, or his family? He shook his head. It was unnerving, not knowing what happened. He was confused still, and it didn't help that he was blind. He was cold suddenly, and the presence of Fishlegs and Heather didn't help with it at all.

 _I'm sorry, Astrid._

* * *

"Some people may say-" Gobber flew his dragon against the ice, not by choice. "-That this plan is poorly conceived!"

The Dragon Riders, and those who have rode dragons or decided not to ride in the boats, raced through the Archipelago in the night with their teenaged and baby dragons. It was proven, for all of them, to be a more drained task that any of them could have thought of. The baby dragons never listened to their new riders, and they were too inexperienced to understand how to hold humans.

However, Astrid smiled, as the teenaged dragons squawked at each other. Most of them were happily moving around, having the chance to _finally_ let Vikings ride on them. The Vikings didn't understand, but she did. She heard the happiness from the young dragons.

Stoick shrugged, as he tried to hold on the baby dragon that he was wrangling. "Then it's a good thing that we Haddocks never listen!" he shouted, as the teenaged Snafflefang.

"But Dad-" Finna grunted, holding tightly to a baby Hideous Zippleback, "-How is _this_ going to sneak passed Drago?"

"It shouldn't," Stoick answered. "But if Astrid and Toothless can get to the ships first, then we can go to the nest."

"Hey!" Snotlout shouted, trying to cling in a young Gronkle, "Why does she get to ride on Toothless?"

"Because I am the Chief, and I say so," Stoick said to his nephew, with a grin on his face. "And she's the only one who can understand what Toothless' saying."

" _And here I thought it was because I have the capabilities of being a kick-ass Alpha,"_ Toothless grumbled, mostly to himself. He peered up at Astrid. " _What if we are too late to find Hiccup? What if he's really gone?"_

Astrid was not sure how to answer her new dragon friend. Although the… painful thought that Hiccup was gone bothered her still, there was a small part that told her otherwise. It was though… when her heart beat, she could feel another beating as well. Somehow… she _knew_ that it was Hiccup's…. _It has to be…._

"Find him, Toothless," Astrid said, patting on the Night Fury's head, "find Hiccup."

Toothless released a terrifying roar, one that Astrid was rather glad that she was on the same side as the Night Fury, and not his enemy.

* * *

"Wake up, boy!" a man shouted.

Hiccup could feel himself being pulled out of the cage, or jail cell (he still wasn't sure), but he still could not see anything. The tug of his shirt told him that he was going through his trapped area.

However, the lack of support of his left leg caused him to meet the floor.

"Get up, you darn clutz!" the voice grunted, pulling Hiccup to his foot again. But Hiccup tried to balance himself on his right foot, nearly falling down again. He could feel something grab him by his hair, dragging him up. "Get on your dang feet!" the man barked again.

"Stop it!" he heard Heather shout. "He's missing a foot, can't you see that?!"

"Shut the slut up," the man ordered, and Hiccup heard the sound of a slap being made against what sounded like Heather's face. He bit his own lip, trying to not yell back. It wouldn't have done him anything good, if he said anything, due to his blindness.

"Leave her alone!" Fishlegs shouted.

Another smack.

"Fishlegs…" Hiccup whispered, hoping that Fishlegs was near him. He prayed that neither of the guards heard him, though. "Just keep quiet…."

"I know.. I'm scared, Hiccup," Fishlegs admitted.

Hiccup didn't say, but he was scared as well. His sight was still gone, and he was still confused. He wasn't sure what happened to his family, or Astrid, or even Toothless, and he was either going to stay on this ship indefinitely or die here. And, to be honest, he was hoping that neither were an option.

"And get the others up to deck! Drago wants to see them!" the same man ordered. "He wants answers, and he doesn't take kindly to dead prisoners!"

Hiccup gulped.

 _Drago…_

* * *

"Ow!" Astrid grunted, in pain.

For some… odd reason, her legs were met with something hard. Like a bang against the ground. She looked down, but there was nothing in the air with herself and Toothless. Save for the dragons lagging behind them purposely.

 _What's happening?_

Astrid felt something on her head.

It hurt… like someone was pulling on it… and it was a hard jerk of a pull!

"Astrid, are you okay?" Toothless asked, worriedly.

She rubbed the back of her head. "Yea… I'm okay."

 _Liar._

"Toothless, we need to get to Hiccup very soon," she decided, rather quickly. "I think he's in pain."

Toothless released a confused growl. " _How can you tell?"_

"I… I think I can sense his pain, somehow," she said. "Something… about what Icespitter said…Hiccup and I were to connect as Souls… I think we are connected by some type of telepathic bond."

" _If that's true, then he must be close by_ ," Toothless said.

Astrid could only nod. However, and she didn't tell Toothless, that something else was happening. She felt her arms and leg ache with each inch of whatever life was left… presumably in Hiccup.

 _Gods, what are they doing to you?_

* * *

Hiccup moaned in pain, as he felt his face hit the hard floor.

The only reason he knew it was flooring was from the rotting smell of wood. Burried down his cheek, opening pores on his face and receiving painful splinters. Gods, if only he could properly see…

A hand grabbed from behind, and pulled his head back.

Now… there was a blur, but at least it wasn't complete darkness. _Thank the Gods I'm only_ partially _blind,_ he thought to himself in amusement. He glanced around him, and recognised two others that were beside him: a thicker man with a woman with black hair.

 _Fishlegs and Heather._

"Well, well, well, Dragon Master."

Hiccup gulped. _Drago Bludvist…._ "Yes?" he asked, frowning.

"I'm surprised that you survived that blast from your Night Fury there." Loud footsteps inched closer to him, softly, slower than what Hiccup's heartbeat was banging against his chest. "I hope… after that encounter, you've learned your lesson about controlling dragons."

Hiccup tried to hold back a smile, despite being able to see Drago's face clearly. "All I've learned is that I need to invent something to protect my eyes from bright light."

He heard laughter from other people.

"What a shame," Drago muttered. Hiccup noticed the blur bend down, and face him. "Because it is you who will be telling us where the nest is, as I know that your friend's Bewilderbeast would be too _passionate_ to take all of his dragons."

If Hiccup was scared, he hid it very well. In truth, his head rung with pain from hitting the ground countless times. Both his legs hurt, although the left one only slightly more due to the loss of support. His eyes were still out of sight (no pun intended), only making out blurs and figures that he could barely recognize.

"And if I refuse?" Hiccup asked.

Drago stood up, and walked over to another blur… a person not too far from Heather. The taller man picked the woman up. "Tell him your name, woman," Drago demanded.

"I…. I'm…. Jorma," she stuttered, "You- you know my children, Hiccup. Gustav and Hildegard…."

Hiccup's mouth nearly dropped, and he desperately tried to hide his shock. Why was Drago holding hostages here, of all places? He frowned at Drago. "Let her go, Drago. You have me now, isn't that enough?"

"Yes, I suppose," Drago said, indifferently, "but what's the point of having prisoners if you aren't going to use them, right?"

Hiccup bit his lip down, hard. He tried to thoroughly understand what Drago was proposing, but he could not bring himself to fathom the thought. _No… I know Drago is insane, but he wouldn't kill innocent lives for the sake of finding the nest… would he?_

"It's a shame. You have potential, young Dragon Master. I'm surprised you survived that blast. Perhaps you would be of more use in my army after all, since your village is basically gone and no one would dare come hunting for me," Drago taunted.

Hiccup felt the pull of a hand at his hair again, but this time, it was to make him face Drago. Then, a cold substance, but soft at the same time, reached at his eyes. Covering almost his entire face, save for his mouth and nose. Hiccup smelt salt and a wet towel touch over his eyelids.

Hiccup nearly gasped.

Blinking.

He could… see clearer now.

"Night Fury blast. Can blind a man temporarily," Drago explained. "I knew this... from when Night Furies attacked my own village. They blinded us, but we found a way to heal our eyes, by using the saliva of certain dragons who have opposing saliva."

So it _was_ a Night Fury that Drago wore as a cloak.

"However, you have this connection with dragons, I'll admit that," Drago said. Hiccup detected a hint of surprise in the man's voice. Something he wasn't unfamiliar with, compared with his own father. "Dragon Master…I want you to see what happens when you don't do as I say."

Hiccup felt his head being shoved about, and forced to look at Jorma. The woman Hiccup had recognized to be Gustav and Hildegard's mother. Hiccup felt his heart cringe. He didn't want to think that Drago was this terrible that he would hurt Jorma, right?

Drago forced a dragon onto Jorma, while the dragon moaned sadly. It released a low fire near Jorma, and all Hiccup could hear were Jorma's screams.

"Stop it!" Hiccup shouted.

Almost suddenly, Jorma stopped screaming.

Drago walked over to Hiccup again, and grabbed him by his suit. Hiccup could smell Drago's disgusting stench, and he wanted to release his dinner on the vile man. Yet… Hiccup's dinner never appeared.

"Now… _Dragon Master…_ tell me where the Bewilderbeast's nest is."


	24. Revelations

_I should say that I'm sorry for the cliffhanger that I left. And.. well, this chapter didn't go the way I expected... in a good way. It's shorter.  
_

 _I will say that there is a bit more action for the next one. And to answer the past few questions... I know that some of you are still confused as to how Hiccup and Astrid survived Toothless' blast. Well, it will soon be explained, I will assure you that.  
_

 _Sadly, I figure that I can try to stretch this to 30 chapters, but I can't be certain. However, there_ **will** _be a sequel. I'm in the process of outlining it._

 _Thanks again for all who have been following, favouriting, and reviewing this story :) I will put in a list of all of your usernames in the last chapter :)_

 _I think you know the drill: the more reviews and whatnot, the faster I update XD._

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 24: Revelations  
_

From his point of view, Hiccup had three choices presented to him.

The first was to just tell Drago where the nest was. It was quite simple. He could tell Drago that it was Astrid who actually knew the way to the nest, hidden deep in the icy reigns of the Archipelago, and that Drago's army was, in fact, too far away from the nest to even be _close_ to it. He could spit out what had happened; that he _accidentally_ stumbled into the nest (the first time). The second time he followed Astrid in, but the way was dark at the time, so how was he supposed to remember.

But how could he betray Astrid? She _saved_ his life. She may be dead now, and he was alive because of her. He couldn't wreck her sacrifice by giving away her _home_ to the most untrusted man in the Archipelago. He would be dishonoring her memory if he say the easy way out of this. And he wouldn't be much of a Soul of a Dragon, if this were the case.

His second choice was to not tell. He could sit there, and not say anything to Drago Bludvist. He learned his lesson. He wasn't going to trust Drago to keep his end of the deal; if he spoke, the prisoners would die. If he lied, the prisoners would die. If he said anything, the prisoners would die. So what was his option, if he didn't speak?

A third thought came to him. He could lie. He could make up some place, to buy some time. He could find a dragon here, a dragon that can send a message to whoever was left on Berk. It was a long shot, since he couldn't even bring Toothless back to him…. How could he convince a dragon to send a quick message? It didn't make sense.

"What is your answer, oh great Dragon Master?" the man taunted.

Hiccup glanced up at Drago. "What makes you think that I want to do this, Drago? You had the Valkyrie killed. She is the one who knows the way to the nest you seek." He frowned. "I, myself, have no idea where it is."

Drago sneered, and Hiccup could clearly see his face now.

It was rage.

"Your friend was easily taken control by the Alpha," Drago said. "And… if what my Bewilderbeast says is true about the Souls of Dragons… then _you_ can be too."

Hiccup gasped.

It made sense.

That was why Astrid was banging her head against the ground. She was… she was nearly being taken by control of the new Alpha… She was trying to get out of control of the dragon. He… he _did_ something to her.

Drago stepped away from Hiccup, and started to swing his staff. With anger in his eyes, he started to holler. Swinging the staff. Roaring like a dragon.

Hiccup gulped.

 _Oh gods._

The Bewilderbeast, Hati, returned. Hiccup tried to hold his emotions back, to the first time he saw the dragon. Along with the fear of what the dragon could do. He was just as gigantic as before… perhaps bigger, now that he was _right against_ the ship.

His eyes darted at Hiccup.

" _You can see again…"_

"Now, Dragon Master," Drago said, pointing his staff at Hiccup. "Tell me where the nest is."

 ** _Tell him where the nest is._**

Hiccup close his eyes, and tried to cover his ears. But his hands were bounded, and someone held his shoulders up, so that he was facing the Bewilderbeast. He felt the piercing of his ears, at the reaction of the Bewilderbeasts' control.

 ** _The nest… tell him._**

 _Just tell him,_ a part of his mind said. It was the easiest thing to go. Just to tell Drago. _It's easy. Just tell him._

Hiccup shook his head. _No! No! I won't tell him!_

 ** _Tell him!_**

 _No!_

 _…_

 _"Hiccup, do not tell him. Keep fighting!" the Old King roared. "Don't tell him!"_

 _Wait.. the Old King was here again...?_

 _…_

 ** _You don't have the strength!_**

 _"Don't listen!" the King urged.  
_

 _No!_ Hiccup screamed in his mind. _I'm_ not _going to listen to you!_

 ** _Tell him, Dragon Soul!_**

 _No!_

 _"Keep fighting, Hiccup! Keep fighting!"_

 ** _TELL HIM!_**

"NO!" Hiccup shouted.

Drago, out of complete anger, grabbed the boy's hair. "You _will_ tell me, you useless runt!" he shouted, hitting him across the face. "If there is nothing you can give me, then I will start killing your people!"

"Stop it!" Heather shouted.

"Shut her up!" Drago growled.

Hiccup stopped. He looked up at Drago, not caring that his mouth was very sore, and was sure that he could taste his own blood. He glared at Drago, and he hoped that there was a look of terror on his face. He was _very, very_ mad, and he wished he was a dragon at the moment, so that he could _tear him apart._

"I. Am. _Not._ Useless."

Drago made a face, a rather… calm face. It was very unusual for him, in the five minutes that Hiccup had known the warlord. "What a shame, really. There is much potential in both you and the Vigilante." He sighed. "You understand me well, Dragon Master. You saw my ambitions from the moment we met… and I thought, perhaps, you would see the light here, and join us."

"I'd rather rot in Hell," Hiccup spat. He instantly thought of Astrid, wondering if she would say the same thing. "You won't kill these people, either. They aren't in your way, they'd probably serve you if you asked, and you have all the dragons from Berk. You have _nothing_ on me."

Drago smiled the same one when he showed off his arm. "Oh? Well, that's too bad…"

He raised his fist, and punched Hiccup.

"Take him back to the lower decks…"

The boy didn't hear him finish his sentence, if he had to. The world went dark again, and Hiccup could not see anything anymore.

* * *

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted.

She grabbed her face, and felt the taste of blood in her mouth. No… it wasn't her blood, nor was it her mouth that was bleeding. She was… was feeling someone's pain…

 _Hiccup._

" _I think I have his scent!"_ Toothless growled. " _Yes… he's close by!"_

The Valkyrie nodded in supposed happiness. She could feel her heart flutter in pure joy, and it was just the beginning of her thoughts. "Is he... does he smell alive?"

Toothless sniffed the air three times _. "Yes… but barely. I can smell his blood, Flametorch. He must be either dying or he's being tortured… Ancestors, I haven't smelt this much blood from him since he lost his leg!"_

Astrid sensed the terror in the dragon, and she immediately rubbed his head. She knew how rallied up dragons could get, when they saw a family member in danger. It was _not_ a wise thing to do, to come across an emotional dragon. At this time, the only thing she _could_ do was rub his head the way Hiccup would do it.

"Don't worry…" Astrid said. "He's… I don't think he's dead… quite yet." Now that she thought about it… if he was gone, she would know. He was _very_ much alive… or at least alive. She didn't know how it would feel if he was _not_ alive. _I can only assume that it would be_ very _painful._

Thinking about how she though that Hiccup was dead made her realize how _connected_ she and Hiccup were becoming. Not only were they understanding each other through a… related background, but they were _feeling_ each other. It was thought their… bodies... were in sync, and they could feel the other's pain. Astrid wasn't sure, but Hiccup _must_ have felt something at one point or another.

What she was about to do... it was a long shot. She wasn't even sure that it would work. It was _quite_ ridiculous… to think that this could work. However, the crap she'd seen in the past few days convinced her to do so:

She closed her eyes.

 _Hiccup…. Can you hear me?_

* * *

Hiccup blinked.

 _Astrid?_

 _Yea, it's me. Are you okay?_

Hiccup gulped. _How…. How are you talking to me? I can hear your voice…_

How was that possible?

 _Icespitter. He said that we had to understand each other physically, mentally, and emotionally._ There was a pause from her thoughts. _I think this is what he meant. We literally understand each other…._

Hiccup frowned. _Sounds very anticlimactic, if you ask me._

 _Did you feel something, during the battle?_

Well, now that Hiccup thought about it, he _did_ recall feeling angry while he was flying. It must have been when Astrid was fighting Drago, and he was feeling _her_ anger towards the warlord.

 _Oh, just shup up. Where are you?_

He looked around him. He was back down on the lower levels of the ship, now that he could properly see. The ship smelt rotten, and it even looked rotten from down where he was. Bars and crates encircled the larger part of the ship's bottom. Hiccup recognized some of the Hairy Hooligans there, too, along with Fishlegs and Heather.

Once again, he closed his eyes. He tried to picture what the area looked like, from the deck of the ship. He tried to concentrate on what he was seeing, but all he could remember was Drago's ugly face, and the Bewilderbeast rearing its head from the depths of the ocean.

 _I think I'm in the icy parts of the Archipelago… but I was blind…_

There was a pause.

 _Well, that's not much that we can go on._

Hiccup blinked. _We? Who are you with?_

 _I'm with the rest of the Hooligans… although I'm also with Toothless._

Hiccup's mind started to spin.

Toothless…. So he was alive? He was okay?

A sense of happiness rushed through him. Toothless was okay! He was going to be okay! And it wasn't just a bad dream that he was… was the reason that Hiccup went blind… and almost killed him… His anger went to Drago, as he remembered what the Bewilderbeast said: _They lost control._ How could Drago make Toothless nearly kill Hiccup? It was… well, it was still anger that stayed in Hiccup's memory. _I will make sure that Drago pays…_

"Hiccup... Are you okay?" Heather asked.

* * *

Toothless disappeared in the foggy night.

Stoick halted his dragon, and the rest of the Hooligans on their respected dragons stopped as well. The remaining Hooligans were in the fog of the night that was settling around them. No one what he was thinking, but they had a good idea: where was Astrid and Toothless going? Did they find Hiccup?

Beside him, Finna (on her dragon) glanced up at her aging father. "Dad, do you think that Toothless will find Hiccup?" she asked. "I mean… not that I don't trust this woman who attacked me, or that Toothless' nose is one of the best out there…"

"I wouldn't worry about her," Stoick said. "She can handle herself."

Finna groaned. "It's not necessarily _her_ I'm worried about. More so for the people she finds that have taken Hiccup." She recalled back to the way the Valkyire- er, Astrid, addressed Hiccup, back what seemed like months ago. She _choked_ him on rage… out of protection. "I mean, from what I've heard about how close they have gotten…"

Stoick nodded. "Yes… It makes me wonder if, well, Hiccup has considered someone else to marry…"

Finna's eyes widened. "Wait… you'd actually want the crazy, Valkyrie, dragon woman as your daughter in law?" she asked. _Well, I wouldn't mind having her as a sister-in-law, either…._

"Why not? I mean… I've seen how Fishlegs and Heather have been acting, although it's been limited," Stoick notified. He moved closer to Finna. "Do you think there's something going one between the two of them…?"

His daughter laughed. "Dad, I wouldn't be surprised if Heather and Fishlegs were somewhere together right now…."

"Would it be surprising that, if they are still alive, that they would want to…" Stoick trailed off, without looking at his daughter.

Finna found the "connection" in her father's words. "Wait... are you _seriously_ thinking about the treaty at a time like this?" she asked in disgust.

"Well, if we had the help of Beardhead's people, then we could eliminate the threat of other islands. Also, we'd have their protection," he added.

Although Finna was more than happy that her brother may be out of the stupid marriage contract yet, she did agree with Stoick that it would have been helpful earlier on if they had the extra hands in stopping Drago from attacking Berk. It was too bad; they may have been good fighters, and the war could have gone out a different way.

Alas, it did not.

* * *

Hiccup shook his head, the voices in his head nearly fading. "Uh... yea.. I think I'm okay..."

Heather came over to him, as much as she could, and caressed his face. Hiccup didn't say anything as Heather inspected it. "I don't see any bruises... and your eyes are coming back to their original green..."

There was a pause. "I'm... sorry," Hiccup said.

"For what? You didn't hit me, did you? And you certainly didn't capture me or anyone on this ship," Heather said.

Hiccup shook his head once again. "No.. I mean getting you involved in all of this. I brought you to Astrid - the Vigilante - and I've basically started this war with Drago," he whispered. "I-I didn't think about how it would affect _you_ in this... I was only thinking... thinking about myself. I didn't consider the contract, thinking that it was something I could do." He sighed. "Not that it matters anymore... half the village of Berk is gone... and Toothless..."

Heather sighed. "To be honest, Hiccup, I wasn't thinking about the marriage, either. But it wasn't your fault that you caused this," she insisted. "Finna was trying to lure Drago out, and make him fear you... while indirectly causing him to attack Berk prematurely." She glanced at Fishlegs briefly, before looking back at Hiccup. "And to be honest... if our fathers are still concerned with me marrying a Hooligan, at least, then I should tell them that I have another approach."

"Approach?" Hiccup asked.

"Well... I can tell you later," Heather insisted, almost blushing. "We need your brain, Dragon Master. What's the plan out of here?"

Hiccup could only shrug. Well, he _would_ shrug, if there weren't ten other people around him. Hiccup glanced around, and recognized almost everyone with him. They were all from Berk. Hooligans that were not dead, but they might as well be, considering that Drago was near as to killing them just to get information out of Hiccup about where the nest of the remaining dragons were.

"I don't know," Hiccup admitted. And that was nearly the end of that.

He didn't want to talk, not after what had just transpired between himself and Dragon, and the strange thing that happened in his mind with Astrid. He could have _sworn_ he heard Astrid in his mind, as though she was right beside him and alive. He shook his head. _It was probably my mind playing tricks with me…_ there was no way that Astrid could speak to him, even if there _was_ a strange prophecy about him and Astrid "understanding physicaly, mentally, and emotionally", whatever that meant.

"Hiccup, what was going on?" Fishlegs asked, after what seemed liked hours after Heather's question. "You looked as though you were talking in your mind, or that the big dragon"

"Bewilderbeast," Hiccup corrected.

"Right, er _Bewilderbeast_ ," Fishlegs continued, "was-er, taking control of your mind, like he did with the other dragons after it became the new Alpha."

Hiccup could only nod to confirm Fishlegs' theory.

"You mean…" Heather kept her voice down, "that you were… sort of like a _dragon_?" she asked.

"Yes."

Fishlegs' mouth nearly dropped. "Wait, how is that possible? Are you some sort of dragon, or do you have dragon in your family?"

"That's ridiculous," Heather said, with a disgusted look on her face. "There is no way that a dragon could mate with a human. Dragons are no way related to humans, but I _have_ seen some dragons mate between species… like a Deadly Nadder mating with a Gronkle or something…."

Hiccup shook his head again, but this time it was not to agree. "No… the King- the Bewilderbeast that was killed by the one here... he said something about how I was a Soul of a Dragon… a human that can connect the world of humans and dragons together."

"So… it's like a prophecy of some kind?" Heather asked. Hiccup nodded. "So that's why you were controlled so easily by the Bewilderbeast… you're connected to dragons."

Huh. He never thought of it that way before. Well… he knew that he was connected to dragons, due to his relationship with Toothless, but it shifted when the King said that it was more connected to _Astrid,_ since she was a Soul as well. Hiccup frowned. _Wait… but maybe Heather has a point… maybe I_ am _connected to the dragons somehow…_

It was making sense now.

Why the King –the king's father – was communicating with him. Hiccup, at first, thought he was hallucinating, and that he was merely dreaming about a dragon he had never met before. No, _this_ had to be the reason. Why would he be called a Soul of a Dragon, if not otherwise? And then it _really_ hit him. _I'm the Born Soul because I always_ have _had a connection with dragons._ The relationship that predated his and Toothless' meeting, to when he was younger.

A baby. When he was merely in the cradle, and the Stormcutter broke in and saw the type of human he was. Of course, Valka had noticed it… she understood right from the beginning. Hiccup didn't remember the encounter… but he knew he'd been different ever since.

 _Astrid…_

So she _was_ alive. And that meant Toothless was alive, as well.

They were _all_ connected.

"I am…" Hiccup said, sounding more surprised than what he actually felt. He had the feeling that he had been dreaming, and now he was waking up to reality of what was happening. "I don't know how strong this connection is… but it must be good enough to get us out…"

Fishlegs gulped. "Wait... what are you suggesting?"

Hiccup glanced at the worried Fishlegs, who was fairly close to Heather. The girl he was supposedly betrothed to. "I'm suggesting that we, somehow, get the chance to break out-"

Suddenly, the ship started to shake.

Everyone on the lower decks of the bottom of the ship started to worry. By worry, they were actually starting to scream at the violence of the shake, and the uncertainty of what was happening.

Fishlegs immediately went to the other end of the ship, due to his larger weight being pushed around. The Hooligans didn't help by moving to the movement of the ship. Hiccup found it hard to stay put with only having one leg to keep him balanced.

After what seemed like forever, Hiccup heard a noise. A familiar noise.

A Night Fury roar.

Hiccup smiled.


	25. Destined for Greatness

_Hey, guys. I am truly sorry for the long wait again. I'm been dealing with crap at work, trying to find a new job, along with not having any writing creativity to even finish this chapter. I am truly sorry._

 _The good thing is... this is the 1 year anniversary for Souls of Dragons! :D_

 _I want to thank all of you who waited this long for the upcoming conclusion of the story. It really means a lot for someone who doesn't quite update as fast as they want to, and have such great feedback when a new chapter comes up. Really, I sooo appreciate it, guys :D_

 _I don't have a set date for the new story, or when this one will finish. I will keep you posted soon, though._

* * *

 _Souls of Dragons_

 _Chapter 25: Destined for Greatness_

 _…_

 _"Momma, watch me!" Flametorch shouted._

 _Heavenwings chuckled, as the ten-year-old Flametorch climbed on top of Graystone's wings, and right onto his back. The little girl smiled, patting the Deadly Naddar's back, and sitting promptly on it. With a shake, the dragon went up in the air, and Flametorch held on for dear life._

 _"Be careful up there!" Heavenwings warned. "I don't want you breaking one of your legs again!"_

 _Flametorch giggled. "Don't worry, Momma! I'll be okay… right, Graystone?"_

 _The dark blue Deadly Nadder cackled. "You know me, Flame. I wouldn't let you fall in a dragon's heartbeat."_

 _Flametorch nodded happily._

…

"Get that Night Fury!" someone shouted from the ships.

Astrid smiled, as she helped Toothless fire at the ships from below. She was starting to get used to his agile flying, not much different than how Stormfly flew. " _Toothless, which ship is he on? I'm trying not to get too noticed out here_ ," she said in Dragonese.

Toothless looked up at Astrid for a moment. " _Did you not just tell me to attack the ships as quickly as I could, then we'll rescue Hiccup and suffer the consequences once it was present to us?"_ he asked, sarcastically.

" _I have no recollection of doing this,"_ Astrid retorted, but her smile was still present, nevertheless. Her hand went for the sword bound to her back. " _Besides, this means I have the chance to owe Drago back for what he did."_

The dragon laughed. " _The King would be so proud of you."_

"I know- Toothless, on your right!" Astrid shouted, pointing to the seas below her.

The Night Fury instinctively moved out of the way, and dived down to the closest ship below him. He roared, and shot at it. The ship shook on impact, knocking off some of the men into the cold, depths of the ocean. Toothless nearly laughed at the sight of the stupid men down below, as it took them forever to assemble and try to attack back at them.

Astrid had to admit, she wasn't sure why the men weren't so onboard with their weapons. Was it that they left most of them on Berk? She couldn't remember seeing any weapons larger than bows on Berk, but if there was… Well, she was oblivious to it. She was too worried about that both Hiccup and the King were dead.

 _Well, now you know that Hiccup's still alive._

The news _did_ make her feel better, if she said so herself. Somehow, thinking to each other established communication… and it actually _worked_ , which was something she wasn't sure that would. But… why didn't Icespitter say anything about it before? _This_ was something in the unordinary, for sure.

Toothless sneered. " _Thanks… but I think we'll need to avoid those weapons!"_ he shouted.

" _Calm down,"_ Astrid said, rubbing his head. " _Can you find which ship he's on?"_

 _"Considering that you have this weird telepathic connection with Hiccup,"_ the dragon grumbled, " _I'd say you should be the one to find him!"_

Astrid frowned. " _I can't smell him, you know that!"_

Toothless shook his head. " _Can't you just ask him which ship he's on?"_

" _Just sniff him out!"_ Astrid said, exasperated. As much as this Night Fury was growing on her, he could _really_

With a gruff, Toothless lifted his nose up and sniffed. " _He's down there!"_ he shouted, pointing his nose to the farthest ship.

Astrid squinted, and saw something shine off one of the men down on the ship. A shine that reflected from the sun, that only something made from metal could have.

 _Well, great!_

"Of _course_ he had to be on the ship with Drago on it!"

* * *

Drago glanced up at the sky.

"That blasted Night Fury is back…" he sneered. He went to his men, and shoved them to the weapons on board. "Well, what are you doing just standing there? Shoot it down!"

Some of his soldiers nodded without hesitation, and ran for the closest cannons they could charge up. One of them went to a net launcher and each set of the large infantries shot at the Night Fury. They cheered as the dragon from above them scurried, trying to dodge the catapults.

Drago squinted, looking up at the dragon. How… how could the dragon be flying? From what he noticed from his encounter with the runt, the Night Fury had some strange contraptions connected around it… and one of its tailfins was _definitely_ not of flesh. Drago figured out that the dragon needed the boy's help to fly, due to the machinery.

Who was flying it now?

Without much of a flinch, he grabbed one of the soldier's scopes, and used it. He peered through it, and almost gasped.

It was the Valkyrie.

"Wait!" he shouted. The soldiers stopped firing. "Only use the nets. I don't wait either one of them injured!"

The men responded, by going to the net catapults.

"This has worked in our favour rather well…" Drago said, smiling to himself. If the other men saw how happy he looked, he knew that they would have thought he had gone mad. Well, in a way, Drago _did_ go mad. He _was_ on the bridge of war, and ready to claim the one thing that he desperately always wanted:

 _Power._

So things were working _very_ well in his favour….

* * *

" _I've found him! He's there!"_

Toothless snarled, landing on three men. Astrid jumped off, giving the dragon the leisure time to grab the soldiers. It took the dragon no time to throw them overboard with the satisfaction of splashing water.

Astrid took no time to crashing into as many men as she could, knocking them off their feet as they came up to her. One man ran at her, with a sword in hand, and she swung her axe at him, easily defeating her foe. The next two men held bigger hammers, but Astrid didn't run away: they were down before she finished her entire swing.

 _Hiccup! I'm coming! Where are you?_ She thought.

There was no immediate response.

…

 _Heavenwings flew over to where Flametorch fell._

 _"Are you alright?" the dragon asked, hugging her daughter._

 _Flametorch inched closer to her mother. "Yes, Momma… I'm okay…" However, the little girl didn't move. Her mind was elsewhere. "Momma?"_

 _"Yes, Flame?"_

 _Flametorch looked up at Heavenwings. "Momma… why don't I look like you?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Why am I so different?"_

 _Heavenwings chuckled. "Well, first of all, you're covered in dirt and tree branches. Were you and Grayscales messing in the trees?"_

 _"No… I don't mean that…" she insisted. "I… I overheard what Bronzer said last night."_

 _The dragon, who had been pecking the leaves out of Flametorch's hair, stopped only for a moment. "And what did he say?" she asked._

 _"He said…" she sighed, while Heavenwings licked her clean. "He said I don't belong with the herd."_

 _"Don't mind what Bronzer said."_

 _Flametorch wiggled out of her touch, and stood up. "Look at me! I'm not a Deadly Naddar!" she shouted. "I don't have wings, or scales, or a tail! I have to ride on everyone's back in order to get around." She bowed her head. "I'm not a dragon."_

 _Heavenwings didn't move for what seemed like a long time._

 _"Well?" Flame said._

 _"I am looking at you, Flametorch…. Do you know what I see?" she asked. "I see… two legs, like the ones I walk on." The dragon approached the girl, calmly, as though_ she _were the untameable creature. "And you have eyes, like I do."_

 _Flame's guard almost went down, as Heavenwings purred against her. "Oh, and you speak the way I do." She chuckled, as Flame hugged her. "Astrid… you may not know it yet, but you are destined for great things. When I found you, I could hear the Dragon Soul within you."_

 _"What does that mean, exactly?" Flame asked._

 _"It means you are the only human that can understand dragons, not simply with speaking…. But on a spiritual level," Heavenwings explained. She purred again. "Come along. Let's go and wake your brother and sister."_

 _Flametorch smiled, as she climbed on Heavenwing's back._

 _…_

She rolled her eyes, as she hit a man across the head. " _Toothless, have you seen Drago at all?"_ she shouted.

" _I'm a little busy!"_ Toothless hissed. Another five men were surrounding him, and he was trying very hard to knock them overboard. " _I know he's here! He smells like he's below us!"_ He went back to knocking another man from the floor and caused him to fly into the water.

Astrid nodded, looking for the lower decks of the ships. She immediately noticed a door, and she ran for it. She didn't listen to her thoughts, her immediate instincts.

 _I'm coming, Hiccup. I'm coming._

* * *

The flight was not as eventful as Valka hoped it to be.

Well, she wasn't expecting it to be a _breezy_ flight, since they were on the backs of baby dragons. That… and herself and her immediate family were at the front end of leading both the air strike and the ships below to their next impending doom of helping terrified dragons on the island that didn't follow the King.

Valka nearly sighed. _Those poor dragons… alone and afraid. Most of them are probably baby dragons, who were barely yearlings. Barely old enough to live out on their own._

 _If my children-_

"There they are!" Gobber shouted from behind Finna.

Valka immediately looked down, losing her train of thought, and saw the hundreds of ships, where it appeared as though someone had begun to fight there already. There was shouting from both below and where the Riders were in the sky. Valka feared –no, she _knew_ that another battle was to ensue. _Will the gods be in our favour this time?_ She could only think.

"Does everyone know the plan?" Stoick shouted.

"Yea!" the Thorston twins shouted.

"Stop the dragons-" Snotlout began.

"And kick Drago's ass!" Finna added.

Valka rolled her eyes. "Language!"

There was an eye roll from the youngest Haddock, but she listened to her mother. "Honestly, Mom, you _need_ to sort out your priorities."

Valka could only smile at her daughter's optimism. However she was not in the mood nor felt had the time to discuss the implications of what her daughter was verbally telling the others (rather, she knew that Finna meant well better than that). She _did_ acknowledge that Finna could be a great of a leader as Hiccup and Stoick, if she allowed herself.

…

 _"Hiccup, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Valka asked. "The dragon arena is dangerous… I barely passed when I was your age. Actually…." She stayed quiet. "I'm pretty sure that I was well into turning eighteen in dragon training."_

 _The fifteen year old boy nodded his head. "I'm sure, Mom. I've been waiting to do this for my whole life. I_ want _to prove that I can be a dragon killer, like Dad."_

 _"Son, you know you don't have to be a dragon killer to be accepted by your father," Valka insisted. "He loves you, no matter what."_

 _"Well, can you explain that to him?" Hiccup asked, deadpanned. "Every time I try to prove that I'm a worthy son… it's in the one ear and out the other."_

 _Valka drew her son in her arms. "Hiccup… you know why you were named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock?"_

 _"Because you and Dad wanted to torture me with the best name in all existence?" Hiccup sarcastically said._

 _Valka laughed, but she rubbed his head. "We named you after your great-great uncle, and your… great-great-great… something grandfather," Valka said. She felt Hiccup chuckle as she tried to recall exactly how many greats were between her son and his ancestor. "Both men were great leaders, and they were Hiccups like you. However, they grew out of their… small statures, and overcame their differences. And because of their differences, they were remembered in history."_

 _Hiccup sighed. "Yea… I guess so…"_

 _"You are destined for great things, Hiccup. Maybe it's not dragon-killing, or maybe it is." She lifted her son's head, so that he was looking at her. "Whatever it is… I know it will make even the gods proud."_

 _…_

"Ahhhh!" the Vikings shouted, not nearly in unison as they should have, which disturbed Valka from her thoughts once again. However, it was the traditional Hairy Hooligan battle cry to shout in any type of range of cries, despite the weirdness of it.

Valka found herself shouting alongside with them in the traditional Hairy Hooligan battle cry.

* * *

A light of some sort came from above them.

Hiccup found himself trying to shield his eyes. The light must have come from the deck's floor, where the entrance to the bottom of the ship was. He bit his lip. Was someone coming down to interrogate them again, or to perhaps throw Toothless down here?

Hiccup blinked his eyes.

"A-Astrid?" he asked.

Was… was it _her_?

The moving woman ran down the stairs, and ran over to Hiccup without another thought. "Hiccup!" she whispered, but was loud enough to carry through the room.

Before Hiccup could do anything, Astrid punched him.

"Hey!" Hiccup whispered, trying to rub his arm, only to remember that his arms were cuffed together. "What's the big idea, are you _always_ going to hit me?"

Suddenly, Astrid hugged him.

Strangely, it wasn't like the first one that they shared. It was warmed, and had more feeling into it. Her head was resting in his shoulder, not like the other one where she was _on_ his shoulder. Hiccup felt that he would melt around her, and wouldn't care. _She_ wouldn't care, either.

"Oh… I could get used to this," Hiccup said, mostly to himself.

The pause was eternal. A lasting moment of bliss, of this world where something so innocent and pure could never break. Not even a dragon's jaw could break this bond. Or this moment.

"I… I'm so happy that you're okay," she said. Hiccup didn't say anything, but he could have sworn that she was… _shaking_. Like… _really_ shaking. "I… We all thought you were killed by Toothless' blast."

It was then that Hiccup heard the cries in his shoulder.

It was… surreal. He never, in his short time with her, thought that there were _tears_ from her. That he could… actually have her tears on him. Hiccup nearly took a step back (if he wasn't crouched down on the floor with both Fishlegs and Heather and half of Berk below on the ships with them) at the surreal emotion that he was feeling from her for the first time.

He… he could _feel_ her sadness, her happiness that he was alive, the anger that she had for Drago… it was as though he had those exact feelings. Was it because that he was being held by her at this moment, and feeling her weakness? Perhaps. He immediately thought to what he and Fishlegs and Heather discussed merely moments ago, with the connection of the Dragon Souls. He and Astrid had this… connection… that broke through anything that any Viking could come through, or ever thought of. And if Hiccup was about one thing, it was that he and Astrid _had_ these souls for a reason.

"Astrid, I _really_ hate to interrupt your hugging," _mostly because this is the first hug I've gotten from a girl who wasn't related to me in any way, "_ but I'm sort of stuck here with the cuffs." He wiggled his arms in emphasis.

The Valkyrie wiped her face. "Right… Sorry." She took out a knife, and started to claw through his cuffs both roughly and elegantly. Hiccup _really_ wished he had his peg leg so he could a literal step back.

"Hey… err, Hiccup?"

Hiccup almost gasped. He forgot about Heather and Fishlegs, who were _literally_ two inches away from them (and it currently dawned on Hiccup as to how he didn't catch on that he and Astrid had little room to hug).

"Astrid?" Hiccup said, as Astrid was about to stand up. "Um… is there any way you could free Heather and Fishlegs as well?"

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "What is a _Fishlegs_?"

"Err… that would be me," Fishlegs said, raising his hands, to which both hands went up (due to the chains). Hiccup noticed how scared he was, which was to be expected. _Probably wasn't prepared to come across the Valkyrie, was he_? "Could... if you don't mind, o great Valkyrie..."

Astrid quickly ran to Fishlegs, and pulled on his cuffs. Fishlegs let out a yelp, but Astrid had the cuffs off within seconds. She walked to Heather and did the same to her cuffs as Fishlegs grabbed a knife from the ground to help with the other Hairy Hooligans.

"Thanks," Heather said, rubbing her wrists.

Astrid could only shrug. "It's the least I can do." Her attention went to helping an older woman, whom Hiccup recognized as Johanna. "I saw you up there, fighting alongside the dragons that the King brought, and I figured that I owed you guys a favour."

"Wow, that's impressive," Hiccup joked. "I guess that Night Fury blast did a number on you-"

 _SMACK!_

"OW! Sorry!" Hiccup whispered. He rubbed his arm. "So… what is the plan, in case Drago comes in?"

Astrid smiled. "Easy. We fight together."

Hiccup could not have agreed more.


End file.
